More Than A Mortal (MTWYMT PART II)
by Writing Desk's Raven
Summary: More Than What You May Think Series, Part II: Lyric isn't normal. She's always known that, even from before she found out about her powers. After all, what average teenager was taught Ancient Greek as a child and speaks it fluently? What average teenager has had a past like hers? Okay, more than you might think, but still, horrible. But what's Ly... (Full Summary Inside) [COMPLETE]
1. Summary

**More Than What You May Think**

 **Part II: More Than A Mortal**

Lyric isn't normal. She's always known that, even from before she found out about her powers. After all, what average teenager was taught Ancient Greek as a child and speaks it fluently? What average teenager has had a past like hers? Okay, more than you might think, but still, horrible. But what's Lyric supposed to do when the past interferes with the present? What's she to do when she finds she isn't all alone in having powers like these? What's she to do when an evil force, thought to not be a threat, is surfacing and plans to use her to get what it wants? What's a girl to do with a life like this?

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 ****Updating Schedule****

I do my best to post updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

I sighed. We had six hours left to drive. And I, being the smallest of us three, was stuck in the middle seat of the front of Mom's truck. I signed again, and leaned my head on Jay's shoulder. I eventually fell asleep again.

"Wake up. We're here." Someone said, shaking me awake. I raised my head and looked around. We had arrived. I stepped out of the truck and looked at our house. It was identical to the one beside ours, and they were so close together that only a tall oak tree between the two attic windows was between the houses.

I started to help carry boxes inside. We didn't need to bring much in, pretty much everything had already been brought up unmoving trucks. This was just last minute stuff that we didn't want to pack until absolutely necessary.

I was in the process of carrying a box toward the house when a grill exited the neighbor's house and walked over to me. "Hi. I'm Lydia Ashton. We're your neighbors." She said.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Lyric Tucker." I told her.

"I like that. It's pretty. Anyways, I wanted to ask if you would like to sleepover? I don't really have many friends, female or otherwise, because so many people at school are so fake or trying too hard or just plain fools or sometimes a combination." She said. "But that's Spruce Creek High for you. Such an original name, I know, but it's the only high school in town."

My mom was passing by, and had heard the conversation. I looked to her. She nodded. "I'd love to sleep over. Just let me go out this box away and grab some overnight things." She clapped her hands in excitement.

I brought the box inside, and grabbed my dance bag. It was a Capezio drawstring bag, pink, made mostly of a mesh-like material. It worked, so that's why I continued to use it. It currently held my stuff for tonight, as I had been planning on changing into pajamas and such as soon as I got home and out of that car anyhow. I said a quick bye to Mom and Jay on my way out.

I went over to Lydia's, and she showed to her room. She pointed out, as we passed it, the bathroom at the end of the hall on the second floor. It was the closest door to the stairs.

Once in her room, Lydia laid on a bean bag, she had two, and asked what kind of movies I liked. I told her I liked really any kind of movie, asked to just not watch a horror movie when I'm still so new to the place, and then settled into the other beanbag.

* * *

After two movies and popcorn that Lydia had made, she was out cold, snoring and everything. I quietly got up, grabbed my bag, and went towards the bathroom. I was opened the door only to run into someone. I stumbled back a step and looked at who I had run into. The boy was a little on the taller side, and had some muscle on his arms. His features matched mine; his hair was blonde and his eyes were green, though his eyes were a much lighter shade than my own dark green eyes.

"Speechless, are you?" He asked. "Many of the female population are after seeing this." He gestured to his body. I just rolled my eyes, and ducked past him as he exited the bathroom.

"Who are you?" He asked, looking at me curiously. I tried to close the door, but he had his foot in the way. "What's your name?"

"Not gonna tell you." I said, kicking his foot away and slamming the bathroom door. I dug my phone out of my bag. Three... Two... One... It rang. I answered, knowing who would be on the other end.

" _The forecast calls for no nighttime rain, Lee._ " Jay said to me in Greek. I'd learned it as a child, and he'd learned it, with me helping to teach him, so we could have something of our own that nobody else knew.

" _Sorry. I guess this kid is Lydia's brother or something? Yeah, he's a real cocky, arrogant, self-important bastard._ " I said, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder while I changed. When I finished changing, I put my dirty clothes in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I grabbed my phone so I no longer had to hold it up with my shoulder.

" _Just calm down the rain, okay, Lee?_ " Jay asked. I unlocked the bathroom door, opened it, and leaned on the doorframe.

" _Whatever, dude. Just go to sleep._ " I told him.

" _You should go to sleep, too._ " Jay said.

" _I don't know if that's happening anytime soon. I literally just slept for thirteen hours. You did not._ " I told Jay.

" _How about we both just sleep. Deal?_ " Jay asked.

" _Deal._ " I told him. I hung up and put the phone in my bag. I was about to step forward when I noticed the boy standing in front of me. He nearly gave me a heart attack.

"So, who were you just talking to?" He asked. "Boyfriend?" I choked on my own spit and started coughing. Moments later, when I managed to stop, I spoke.

"That was my brother, Jay." I said.

"So, you have a brother named Jay. What's your name?" He asked.

"What's your name?" I shot back.

"Ah, but see, I asked first." He said, stepping towards me. I stepped back into the bathroom, and he leaned on the doorframe.

I tried to duck past him, but he blocked the way. "Let me past." I said.

"Tell me your name." He countered. I tried to duck past him again, and managed to get out of the bathroom. I went to Lydia's room and closed the door behind me.

* * *

After trying to fall asleep for awhile, and it just not happening, I went downstairs to see if they had any tea. When I found some, I got out a mug and filled it with water. No one else was awake, so I cradled the mug in my hands and willed the water to heat to the perfect temperature. It was done within moments. I put the tea bag in and let it steep.

After drinking the tea, washing the mug, and putting it away, I went into the living room and laid on the couch. I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke again, the boy I had run into before was standing over me. I opened my mouth to scream, but his hand shot out and covered my mouth. "Are you trying to wake the entire neighborhood?" He asked. He removed his hand from my mouth and I sat up.

"Standing over a sleeping person is not the best idea, idiot!" I told him.

"You were thrashing around and muttering. I was about to wake you up, but you did that on your own." He told me. A tear rolled down my cheek when I remembered what I was having a nightmare about. "Are you okay?" I didn't answer.

A moment later, my brother was beside me on the couch. He wrapped an arm around me, and I instantly felt comforted. "It was just a nightmare, Lee." He told me.

I shook my head as another tear rolled down my cheek. "It wasn't. It was a memory. I can't even escape the damn bastard in my sleep." I whispered.

"Who are you and how did you get in my house?" The boy asked Jay.

"He's my brother." I said.

"I picked the lock." He said with a shrug. I smiled at that. Jay could get into anything if he wanted.

"Okay. I'm just going to go back upstairs." The boy said. He turned and left.

"Jay, you head home. I'll be back in the morning." I told him.

"Alright. Your room is the attic, just so you know. And Mom's got a surprise for you. You weren't around long enough to find it." Jay told me. I gave him a weird look. He just smiled.

I managed to fall asleep after Jay left, and luckily didn't have another nightmare.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning, I went to Lydia's room to grab my bag. I had to wear my pajamas back to my house because I hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes with me.

I did have my hairbrush though, and toothbrush, so I went to the bathroom. When I went to exit the bathroom, I ran into the boy again.

"Did you manage to sleep okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Having someone I trust so much after I have one always helps." I said. I went to step past him, but he caught my wrist in his hand.

"Why don't you want to tell me your name?" He asked. I just pulled my wrist from his grip and shrugged, heading down the hall to Lydia's room.

"I'm gonna head back to my house now." I told her.

"Alright, I'll come over tomorrow, be up by six fifteen so I can get you ready for your first day of school." She told me. I opened my mouth to protest, but she spoke again. "No arguments. I'm getting you ready." I closed my mouth.

A laugh came from the doorway. We turned to see the boy standing there. "Looks like she doesn't want to be around you, either." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, Kier? One friend. One friend. That's all I ask. Do you have to be such an ass to everyone I know?" Lydia asked.

"I'm offended that you think I'm only an ass to people you know. I like to think that I am really just an ass in general. See the ball, be the ball kinda thing." He said.

"You're an idiot, Kiernan." Lydia said. So his name was Kiernan.

"I'll be up by six." I told Lydia. She smiled after me as I left the room and exited the house.

* * *

When I entered my own house, I said hi to my mom and Jay before I went up to the attic, where Jay said my room was. I couldn't help but notice that our house had the same layout as theirs. Master bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, a small laundry room, and a little foyer at the front door on the ground floor. Four rooms and a bathroom on the second, and a finished attic.

Because the attic was finished, there was a staircase to get to it. The staircase was at the end of the hall, sort of. After you passed the bathroom and four rooms, the hall turned left, and went as far as the room beside it did. The staircase started there, going up in the direction you would've just come from. The staircase also had a wall beside it, so you walked down the second floor hallway, followed it left until you reached the end, and then there was the staircase going in the direction you just came from.

At the top of the stairs was a small landing, probably just there so that the door opened up into the room, rather than a small space cut out of the wall. The landing was a little square, about three feet across. There was also a light switch beside my door, for the light at the top of the landing. I had seen one at the bottom, too. I entered my room.

The room was very large. The attic probably covered most of the house. Not all, but most. The floor, like the rest of the house, were a light colored hardwood. The walls were a slightly off white color. The ceiling was sloped on both sides, as this was the attic and the ceiling was just underneath the roof. The ceiling started to slope just above three horizontal decorative wooden beams, which were just above the height of an average room's ceiling. Across the room from the door, in the center of the wall, was an octagonal window, made up of nine lanes of glass in a light wooden frame. There was a latch on one side, as well as a lock so that the window would not accidentally open if the latch were forgetfully left open. The window was actually set into the wall, on the outer edge of the house, because instead of a sill, it held a cushioned window seat cut out of the wall.

My furniture was just arranged around the room, most likely set about randomly when it was brought up. I hung my dance bag on the doorknob and started to reorganize the room.

My bed went in the corner closest to the door. There was still a lot of space left between the two. My bedframe had two large drawers under where the mattress rested. And it also had three raised 'walls' above the surface of the mattress; at the head, the foot, and the side that rested against the wall. The headboard of the bed went a few inches above the 'walls' and had an oval shape. It also had flowering vines painted along the top, with my name painted underneath, just above where my pillows rested. The mattress was full sized, and I had five pillows, two beside each other, with two on top of those, and one in the very center above those. The sheets on the bed were grass green, and instead of a comforter, my bed had a heavy faux mink blanket from Okinawa. The edges hung down a little, and on the sides that the 'walls' were, the blanket was tucked in between the frame and the mattress so it was centered. The blanket itself had blue along the edges, with most of it covered in cheetah print, though a design of gold leaves and white rimmed between the cheetah print and the blue. And an intricate design was on the center of the blanket.

At the foot of my bed, resting against the wall on one side, I placed my end table. Along the edge of the top, was the same flowering vines pattern as the headboard of my bed. It didn't quite reach the length of the bed frame, and it had an open space beneath it. The table's legs were made of swirling metal designs. I set my little lamp on the center of the table. It was battery operated, so I didn't need to plug it in, but there was an outlet on the wall under my table. I plugged my phone charger in in that outlet.

The next things I moved were my armoire and dressing screen. I placed the dressing screen in the corner of the room diagonal from my bed, so the corner across from the door. I left about a foot and a half space between the edges and the walls, giving me a big enough space to change behind the screen. Beside it, about three feet away, along the wall the door was next to, I placed my armoire.

The dressing screen had four panels, framed by dark colored wood, while the panels themselves were made of a heavy white canvas, thick enough you could only see a silhouette through. I had painted the flowering vines around the edges of each panel, on the canvas, on the front of the screen. The back had a couple hooks, so I didn't have to set clothes on the floor.

My armoire has two doors, and the left door had a full size mirror on the inside. On the left of the inside of the armoire, taking up half of the space, were drawers in which I kept most of my clothes. On the right, the remaining half, was like a closet. I only hung up my dresses and skirts, not that I had many. I always folded sweaters and jackets and placed those in the drawers to the left. Except my jacket. I always hung up my leather jacket. The armoire was just a little taller than me, maybe half a foot, and I was about five seven. The inside of the right door had my flowering vines painted on, as well as the outside of both doors.

On the opposite side of the dressing screen was my vanity, built into the side of the armoire. I had bolted a shelf on, at about the height of a school desk, and a mirror had been placed above it on the side of the armoire. Around the edges of the mirror, on the armoire, was painted an arch of flowering vines. The shelf wasn't very large, but it didn't need to be. A cushioned stool sat under the shelf, and my makeup kit sat under the stool for when I wasn't using it. I had makeup, I just didn't use it that that often. I kept it in a square case, silver colored and made of metal. My hairbrush, though, I left on the shelf that was the vanity.

The next thing I moved was my bookshelf. It was tall, probably the same height as my armoire, and had six shelves, including the bottom piece. It was made of light colored wood, and the bottom rested on four little feet, about three or so inches off the floor. The sides were painted with flowering vines. I placed the bookshelf in the center of the wall, between the door and the armoire. There was about six or so feet between the bookshelf and each object.

The last furniture I moved was my light green beanbag, and I set that in the last remaining corner of my room. It could be moved anywhere easily, but it's out of the way home would be that corner.

Now I just had five boxes and my guitar left to put somewhere. I placed my guitar, and its stand, next to the end table that was at the foot of my bed. It fit in the space left along the bed frame perfectly. I owned an acoustic guitar, with the classic black teardrop design, except I had also painted more flowering vines onto it. You could probably say I loved flowering vines.

The first of the boxes I opened held my clear Christmas lights, or, fairy lights, as I liked to call them. Clear didn't pertain to any specific holiday. I took them out and grabbed my stool from my vanity, standing on it to put them up across the decorative beams. I wrapped them across, so that they hung down slightly. I plugged one end in in the outlet on top of the center beam, and used a piece of duct tape to tape down the other end. I found a little handheld remote in a holder by the door, at the height a switch would be. I found that the button on the remote worked the outlet on the beam. I turned the lights on, and then off again. I set the remote back in the holder. Neat. It being the morning, I had had enough light in my room to see by. The oak outside the room surprisingly let in a lot of light through its leaves and branches.

The last four boxes held all my paints. Some were gallons of paint, and some were in smaller containers, as well as the many brushed and things I owned. Two of the boxes were just the containers of paints, the gallons taking up more space than you might think. A third box held my brushes, a thing of paper plates which I used for palettes, a large blue tarp for when I painted at my easel, my easel, and assorted cups for water and holding the brushes. The last box held different sized canvases.

I stacked the canvases under my end table, and a few of the larger ones at the bottom of the stack stuck out a little, but that was fine. I placed the folded tarp, folded easel, and all of my brushes and cups in one of the two drawers under my bed. Then I placed all the paints in the other drawer. The gallons could only be placed in rows, but I was able to stack some of the smaller containers. Some containers were running low, while I had barely used others.

Now that everything was done being organized, I went downstairs to find a trash can. I found a circular white one, about as tall as a nightstand, and placed it beside my bookshelf.

* * *

 **So, thoughts?**

 **This is the first chapter to Part II of the _More Than What You May Think_ series. If you haven't yet read Part I, you should probably go do that, it's called _More Than A Demigod_. I mean, you don't have to read it, but things that happen later on may make a little more sense, obviously.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

Now that everything was done being organized, I went downstairs to find a trash can. I found a circular white one, about as tall as a nightstand, and placed it beside my bookshelf.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent painting the wall that I had refrained from placing much against. My bean bag was easily moved, so I moved it across the room for the moment. My bed didn't take up much of the space against the wall, as only the headboard was against the wall, so I was able to paint above it. Almost all of my paints were paints I had gotten from, like, Home Depot and such, for painting your walls, because that was my favorite place to paint. At our old home in Massachusetts, I had painted all the walls of my own room, some of Jay's with designs he had me do, some of Mom's, and several other rooms throughout the house. And the paint worked on canvases, too, so why waste it?

Before I started to paint, though, I changed into my painting clothes. They were a pair of light sweatpants that were a light gray color, and a light tank top of the same color. They were also covered in paint stains. I had gotten them specifications for painting, so I didn't really care. I tossed the pajamas I had been wearing next to my bookshelf, on the side the armoire was. I'd have to bring up one of those plastic hampers for carrying laundry. It's what I usually used to hold dirty laundry. I didn't need a special hamper, when I could use one that made taking my stuff downstairs to wash easy.

When I was finally done, I knew it was late, because I had had to turn on my fairy lights what seemed like forever ago. It was the middle of October, so I knew it wouldn't be too too late, but it would still likely be late. I put my dirty brushes in an empty cup and set it on my end table, to be washed at a later time. I threw out the paper plates I had used into my trashcan, glad that I had thought to put a bag in it. Once everything else was put away, I stepped back and surveyed my work. I had painted a weeping willow tree, with flowering vines hanging down from it. The view was as though you were under the tree, and could see all the vines that hung down inside. And weeping willows were large, so it was as though you were just under the edge of where it's branches hung down. It looked very realistic.

Now done with my room, I left the paint to dry and went downstairs. I entered the kitchen, hearing Mom and Jay in there. "She lives!" Mom exclaimed, and I laughed.

"You were up there all day, Lee. We thought you might have died." Jay told me.

"I was painting." I said.

"I can tell." Mom said, reaching out a hand and brushing a spot of dried paint on my cheek. She retracted her hand and passed me a bowl. "I made potato soup. And I don't think you've even eaten anything since that rest stop six hours before we got here yesterday." I accepted the bowl, and added bacon bits, shredded cheese, and sea salt.

I sat down beside Jay at the counter that was the wall between the dining room and kitchen. The door to the living room, which held the second floor staircase and the entrance to the hallway that held the doors to the downstairs bathroom, laundry room, and master bedroom, was at the corner of the dining room. It was one of those larger doors, like you'd usually see between a living room and kitchen. Mom sat on the other side of me. "I was painting my wall. I've got one wall done. I don't know what else to paint yet." I said.

"Already making the place home, huh?" Mom asked.

"Might as well do what I love." I said with a shrug, taking a bit of the soup. Mom's potato soup was one of those thicker soups, and when you added bacon bits and shredded cheese, it tasted like potato skins. "Speaking of, where'd my drums end up?"

"There are four rooms on the second hall. One of them is Jay's bedroom, another the music room. The other two will end up guest rooms if we can think of nothing else to use them for." Mom told me.

"You'll have to paint all the rooms, Lee," Jay said, "but do the guest rooms with more neutral designs.

"Totally planning on it." I said with a grin. Mom laughed.

After dinner, I took a shower, luckily the second floor bathroom was a full bath, and not a half bath, and went back up to my room. I slipped on some pajamas, tossed my painting clothes with the other dirty clothes, and went to bed.

* * *

I woke up at six to my alarm. Even though I took a shower because I was covered in paint last night, I took another. I usually took showers in the morning. When I got back up to my room, after blow-drying my hair and brushing my teeth and stuff, Lydia had just arrived.

She came up to my room and went straight over to my armoire, stopping first only to admire my wall mural, and chose an outfit for the day. She handed the clothes to me, and I went behind my dressing screen to get dressed.

The clothes she had chose for me to wear were a pair of jeans and a band t-shirt. The t-shirt was a dark green Dropkick Murphys shirt with the hems cut off, which not only made it last longer, but also made it a pretty off the shoulder shirt. The name of the band was written in an old looking don't, around a three leaf clover with an anchor on each side. She had also made sure to grab me undergarments.

Once I was dressed, I hung my towel over the top of the dressing screen and grabbed my leather jacket pulling it on. Lydia sat me down at my vanity and braided my hair. She then picked up my makeup kit and put a little mascara, eyeliner, and pink lip gloss on me. A more natural look definitely worked better for me.

"Shoes?" Lydia asked.

"The rack at the bottom of these stairs are all mine." I told her. Mom had put it there sometime last night while I was in the shower, and set out my shoes. I had my own rack, because I had a lot of shoes. I had my favorite pair, my black steel toed combat boots, on the top of the three shelves on the rack, while most of my other shoes all went on the bottom two shelves; a pair of thin gray sneakers, a pair of gray running sneakers, a brown pair of wedges that were maybe four inches tall, with straps and buckles crossing the tops rather than a normal shoe top, three different pairs of flats, two pairs of flat sandals, and a black pair of flip flops with a half an inch heel. Along with my combat boots on the top were a tall pair of black boots that reached just under my knees, and my dance shoes. For dance shoes, I owned a standard pair of skin colored ballet flats and a pair of skin colored full body footundeez, which could be worn instead of the flats.

Lydia chose my combat boots, which I was grateful for. "Kiernan's driving me, I've almost saved enough for my own car, so I'll be able to drive myself without having to borrow his car soon, but I'll see you at school, okay?" Lydia told me, giving me a hug. I hugged her back and told her I'd see her at school.

My backpack was downstairs, having been in a box, so I just grabbed my phone and put it in an inside pocket in my jacket, grabbed my dance bag, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Mom and Jay were in the kitchen, and my bag was too, sitting by the counter.

"Oh, Lyric, I've got a surprise for you. It's in the garage." Mom told me. I raised an eyebrow. "Just go look in the garage."

I exited the kitchen and went to the little foyer by the front door, going through the door to the garage. My jaw dropped when I saw it. It was my motorcycle. Somehow, it was my motorcycle. I had know I probably would not make the thirteen hour drive up on it, I hated even having to drive in a car that long, and I had sold it before we moved. And I knew it was my bike because of one, the license plate that said 'LEE08', and two, the keys were sitting on the seat, and they had the same little Sun and Moon I'd painted on the top of my keys.

I ran back into the kitchen and hugged my mom tight. "How did you get it? How'd you get it up here?" I asked, stepping back. Mom laughed at my excitement.

"I hired the guy to buy it, then drove it up in the back of my truck on one of the trips up." She told me.

"Thank you!" I hugged her again, and she hugged me back, laughing.

"Now, you two have school to get to. It's six forty five. So, get going." Mom told Jay and I. I gave her one last hug before slinging my backpack over my shoulder and heading back out to the garage, stopping to grab my helmet from a box in the living room first. My helmet was just plain black with a visor that could be pulled down to cover my face, it didn't need to be anything fancy. The braid Lydia had out my hair up in fit nicely under my helmet. I put my dance bag in one of the side compartments of my bike.

I followed Jay to the school, easily memorizing the route. It wasn't far, just fifteen minutes away. When we got there, Jay found a spot to park his car, and I found a spot a little ways down.

When I parked, I noticed a group of guys hanging around the car in the spot beside the one I had parked in. Kiernan was there, and so was Lydia, but she was probably waiting for me.

"Are you one of the new kids?" One guy asked.

"Nice ride, dude." Another said. They thought I was a guy. Had they never seen a girl with a motorcycle before? I'd noticed a few in the parking lot, but they must've all belonged to guys.

"You could sit with us at lunch." One of them said as I stepped off my motorcycle.

I pulled off my helmet and they all gaped at me, seeing I was a girl. "I'm good. I've already got a place to sit." I told them as Lydia came over to me.

"You look totally badass, girl." Lydia said to me as I unzipped my leather jacket. I thanked her, pocketed my keys, and we walked into the school.

We first went to the office, to get my schedule, which listed my classes, as well as where they were.

 **Lyric Warren Tucker**

 _7:16 - 8:06 Art Room 31, Lannen Building_

 _8:12 - 8:58 Study Cafeteria, Lannen Building_

 _9:04 - 9:04 - 9:50 Physical Education Room 01, Field House_

 _9:56 - 10:42 Math Room 48, Lannen Building_

 _10:48 - 11:34 Science Room 57, Lannen Building_

 _11:40 - 12:26 Lunch Cafeteria, Lannen Building_

 _12:32 - 1:18 English Room 63, Lannen Building_

 _1:24 - 2:10 Music Room 13, Roseworth Theatre_

Lydia explained the numbers of the classes and how they indicated where in each of the buildings they were.

"That's actually really helpful, thanks. Do we have any of the same classes?" I asked.

Yeah, we have study, which I usually spend in the library, and we have gym, math, science, and everyone in the school has the same lunch. Like I said, it's a small school." Lydia told me.

"Thanks for the help." I said.

"You're welcome. Now, I suggest you choose a locker on the first floor. You can stop there on the way up for art, and then come here after music since it's so close to the parking lot." Lydia suggested. I thanked her and she said she had to get going to go meet someone before class.

* * *

I ended up choosing a locker as close to the doors as I could. Most of the lockers were down one hallway, as apparently most people decided they didn't need lockers so the school didn't have many, but there were a few against the wall that the front doors of the Academy building were on. I chose one of those, and the office gave me a lock and code, after I filled out a little card. There were three across, two down, in the middle of the wall between the door and another wall, centered, and it seemed that all but the top middle one had been chosen. So I chose the top middle one. They were all dark green.

The only reason I wanted a locker was to put my helmet in it, so it would be easy to stop by in the morning and afternoon. Also, the buildings were all close together, as well as the parking lot being right beside the Academy building. Once I had put my helmet in my locker, I went upstairs and found my art class. I was kinda early, so I sat at a desk halfway to the back, in the center of the room. The desks were tables that seated two.

A few minutes later, a girl stopped beside me. She was average height, and she had brown hair and brown eyes. She was also wearing a ton of makeup. "You're in my seat." She told me. I pulled out my earbuds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jay sit in front of me, but at the seat diagonal to mine, and turn around to watch.

"Who are you?" I asked. She looked taken aback that I didn't know who she was.

"Chelsey Dare, and I rule this school, so get out of my seat or I'll make your life a living hell." She told me, putting her hands on her hips. I didn't say anything about the fact that the seat beside me was empty.

"It doesn't seem like there's any sort of assigned seating, and I don't see a name on the seat." I told her. Jay stifled a laugh.

A moment later, Kiernan entered the room, and Chelsey practically ran to him. "Kiernan, make that bitch get out of my seat." He walked over and sat in the seat in front of me, beside Jay. He looked at me once, before turning back to her.

"My sister would kill me." He told her.

"Who cares what your sister thinks?" She asked.

"Me?" Kiernan said. "I live with the girl. I'm not going to make her mad at me just because her new friend sat in your seat." Chelsey pouted and sat somewhere else. I turned to look at Jay as he spoke.

"Looks like we have the same first period." Jay said.

"Yeah, looks like I'm stuck with you every morning." I told him. He pouted and I tuck my tongue out at him. I saw some girls giving me glares. Did they not realize I was his sister?

Class started when the bell rung a few moments later. The teacher started to speak.

"Alright, we have two new students today. Why don't you introduce yourselves?"

I stood first. "I'm Lyric Tucker." I said. I sat back down, and Jay stood.

"I am Jay Tucker, and Miss Distant over there is my little sister." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he stuck his out at me as he sat down.

"Having finished our last project last Friday, we're starting another today. You'll get to know your partners that I've chosen, and you'll create a portrait that captures the essence of who they are, using any medium you choose. This project is due this Friday, and no, personal information is not required to be shared. This project will also be done after school, excepting today's class." The teacher announced. There were multiple groans, people wanted to pick their own partners. Hell, if I could choose my brother, I could have a portrait done by tomorrow. "The pairs are as follows: Chelsey Dare and Jade Leigh, Chase Walker and Jay Tucker, Lyric Tucker and Kiernan Ashton..." I tuned out after that. When the teacher was done, Jay left to find his partner, and Kiernan turned around to face me.

"So, your name is Lyric?" Kiernan asked.

"Yep." I said.

"That's a pretty name." He said.

"Lydia said the same thing." I told him.

"So, this project is taking place after school. We're neighbors, so it shouldn't be too hard to meet up. What time are you free?" Kiernan asked.

"You can come over around four." I said with a shrug.

"What's got you held up so long?" Kiernan asked.

"It's about a fifteen minute drive after school, and class starts at two thirty and ends at three thirty. Another fifteen minutes to get home, and I'll need to take a shower." I told him.

"Class?" Kiernan looked confused.

"I've got contemporary today, lyrical tomorrow, taekwondo Wednesday, team tryouts Thursday, and if I make the team, practice on Saturdays as well." I said. "Except Saturday, which is eight thirty to nine thirty a.m., classes start at two thirty and end at three thirty, and I've got a ten to fifteen minute drive home, after which I need to take a shower."

"Sounds fun." He said.

"You have anything holding you up?" I asked.

"Nah, just football practice in Friday, but that's when we turn in the project." Kiernan said.

"Jay's trying out for football on Friday. They're letting him because he wasn't here for the original tryouts. He's good though. I'm going, to watch him." I said.

For the rest of the period, I listened to music with my earbuds, and Kiernan played on his phone. We were going to start the project after school.

* * *

I spent study in the library goofing off with Lydia, and stuck close to her in gym as well. As it turned out, Kiernan was in both our math and science classes, and Jay was in our science.

We were both in advanced math and science classes, which meant taking classes with the seniors rather than the juniors, so that was why.

* * *

 **So there's the second chapter. Any thoughts, opinions, feelings yet?**

 **Super huge thank you to anyone who takes the time out of their day to read, review, favorite, or follow any of my work! I really do appreciate the actions.**


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 _Disclaimer (for chapter): I also do not own the lyrics to Conqueror by Aurora. (It's a really great song, though, as she is a wonderful artist. You should check her out. My favorite album is All My Demons Greeting Me As Friends. Granted, that's the only actual album she's got out. My favorite single is either Awakening or Queendom. And the harp version of Queendom? Amazing.)_

* * *

When we got to lunch, I went through the line and then sat down at a table that Lydia was at. It was a circular table, as the ones closer to the edges of the cafeteria were circular, while the tables closer to the middle were rectangular and had benches rather than chairs. The table was situated in the corner of the cafeteria, next to the wall that was made mostly of windows. At this time of the day, the sunlight lit up the space nicely, even with the lights in the cafeteria on.

A girl came over and sat at the table. There being only three of us, and seven chairs around the table, we weren't all pressed together. "Hey friend." Lydia said.

"Hey." She answered. She was pretty, naturally pretty, she wasn't wearing much makeup, just a little mascara and eyeliner, and she had blue eyes and red brown hair.

"So, you're the new girl?" She asked. I nodded. "I'm Maddie Landon. What's your name?"

"I'm Lyric Tucker." I said.

"Tucker?" She asked. "My cousin has a dog named Tucker." I laughed, and she smiled.

"Lee, come sit with us." Jay called across the cafeteria. I looked to see him sitting in the center of the cafeteria with a bunch of, what looked to be, cheerleaders and jocks. Figures he would get right in with the popular kids. Not that he was shallow or mean like them, but he was a naturally likeable person. Everyone always loved him.

"Be right back." I told Maddie and Lydia. I stood, leaving my lunch and my bag, and went over to the table. "What do you want, Jay?" I asked. The girl beside him glared at me, but I ignored her. She scooted a little closer to him.

"What, can't sit with your brother?" Jay asked.

"I'm sitting with my friends, you with yours." I said with a shrug.

"Don't leave me all alone." He said.

"You be a big boy, Jay, and sit here without your sister, okay?" I said. A couple guys at the table laughed. Jay pouted.

"Betrayal. My own sister doesn't even love me." He muttered.

"Nah, I've just pretended all these years. I secretly despise you." I teased. He stuck his tongue out, and I did the same, before going back to Maddie and Lydia.

When I sat again, Lydia spoke. "What did he want?"

"He just wanted me to sit over there. I told him he was with his friends, I was sitting with mine." I said. "Also, I don't think I could stand it over there. How much perfume do those girls need?" Lydia laughed, and so did Maddie.

"You have passed the true test of fakery. You've not abandoned us for the populars." Maddie said solemnly. The three of us laughed.

* * *

After lunch, I found that I had English with Maddie, as well as Kiernan. Not all of Maddie's classes were advanced, but she did have an advanced English class. We also had music together, so we walked there together.

Maddie and I sat somewhere at the left of the room, near the windows. A minute or two later, Jay entered. He didn't see us, and sat over to the center. When Kiernan entered, he sat with Kiernan. Guess they were becoming good friends.

When the bell rang, the teacher stood. "Alright class, we've got two new students. Please introduce yourselves, and tell us any instruments you play and how long you've played them, and whether you sing." She said.

I stood first, and said "I'm Lyric Tucker. I have played the piano since I was six, something I taught myself out of old books to pass the time, the drums since I was almost eight, and the guitar since I was nine. I occasionally sing, but very little in front of others I don't know."

I sat back down as Jay stood. "I'm Jay Tucker. I've played the piano since I was eight, the keyboard, which is basically the same thing, since I was nine, and I can play decently enough on the drums ever since my little sister taught me a couple months ago." He announced before sitting back down.

"Thank you for introducing yourselves." The teacher glanced at a paper in her hands. "We're starting a new project today. You'll have a pre-assigned partner, who you'll write a song with. This project was built up to by some our previous projects, writing song hooks, choruses, and verses on different subjects, as well as writing tunes for specific lines, and other things."

"The song will be due, written, memorized, and performed, on the Friday after next, Halloween. If two people is not enough to fill all instruments you've chosen, you'll be allowed to record the extra instruments and set up audio to be played while you perform, just contact me about that first and I'll set up a time for you in the recording studio. And, while I know you're a teenagers and you may think yourself more mature than your age, and some of you may be, please keep any lyrics you might use school appropriate." The teacher said. She started to read off her paper. "The partners are Chelsey Dare and Lincoln Marsh, Jay Tucker and Maddie Landon, Kiernan Ashton and Lyric Tucker..."

When she finished listing partners and told us only today would be an in class work day, she let us get to work.

"Your brother is kind of cute." Maddie whispered. I glanced up at Kiernan and Jay walking over.

"You think so?" I whispered, and she nodded. "I think you two would look cute together." She blushed even harder as Kiernan sat down in a seat behind us and Jay sat at the table beside us, and I just winked at her, which did not help. Jay gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. Maddie moved to the table Jay was at so they could start.

"So, looks like we're partners again." Kiernan said.

"Looks like it." I agreed. "And we already know when we'll be free, so that's even easier. We can just work on the art project and the song."

"That works." Kiernan said.

I glanced around the room, once, and my eyes caught on a book someone had set out on their desk. I pulled my journal out and flipped to the next open page, the previous page having a heart drawn at the center of each side of the page, to separate different things. I wrote down the lyrics I had thought of.

 _Just like in fiction, in every addiction_

 _Oh fantasy's taking over, awake me_

"What's that?" Kiernan asked, gesturing to the journal. It was a brown leather bound journal, a little smaller than a composition notebook, had a bright blue shoelace through the spot on the spine that was supposed to hold its original string, and a slightly darker shade brown tree decorated the front.

"My songbook." I told Kiernan.

"You write songs?" Kiernan asked.

"Sometimes. It's kind of like my diary." I said.

"What did you just write?" Kiernan asked. I turned the notebook and showed him.

"Where'd you get the idea?" He asked.

"I can really get inspiration from almost anything, not that I always do." I said. He looked confused, so I continued. "I could look at one thing, and my mind could end up somewhere completely different. Like I could look at the sun outside. Think of the color yellow, or gold. That could lead me to thinking of a wide range of things. It just kind of stems out however much."

"And where'd you get the inspiration for that?" Kiernan asked.

"Someone left their book on their desk. I thought of fiction and of fantasy, and something that rhymed. I also thought of how obsessed some people can be with books, not that that is a bad thing, because I'd say I'm an avid fangirl, too." I explained. Kiernan just nodded.

After class ended, Maddie walked back to the Lannen building with me. As it turned out, her locker was beside mine, to the left. I grabbed my helmet while she grabbed some papers and a notebook.

I ran into Jay talking to some guy and told him I'd see him at home later, and went to my bike.

* * *

When I got to the dance studio, I went to the front desk, which was behind a short wall, a door beside the wall led to the office the desk was in. "Hi, I signed up online for classes? I'm Lyric Tucker." I said.

"Oh, yes, you're in Contemporary, Lyrical, and on the list for Team tryouts?" She asked. I confirmed it. "The locker room is just through that door. Choose any small locker, the large ones are for use during class only." She handed me a lock and a little plastic card that could be put on a keyring, with the combination on it. I accepted them and entered the girl's locker room.

"Lyric?" A voice asked. I looked up to see Maddie walking towards me. She looked like she'd probably just gotten here, too.

"Hi Maddie." I said. "Where should I have my locker?" I asked.

"Follow me." She told me, heading off where less people seemed to be. We went to the far corner of the locker room. It seemed like only a couple girls had lockers over here, while the rest were a closer to the door. She started turning the lock on one, obviously her locker. I chose the locker beside hers. I twisted my lock a few times, making sure I had the combination memorized, and put the lock on the locker. I put the combination on my keys.

"So, why is everyone all across the locker room?" I asked.

"For whatever reason, it's better to be closer to the door. Probably the girls who need more time to change or whatever, because if you're a teen, you go to our school. Unless you go to a school in the next town over, at which you aren't in this class, but the one after." Maddie told me. I nodded and changed into my dance wear. Black dance shorts, a tank top, and I was already wearing a sports bra. I also put on my footundeez.

When it was time for class, we went into the studio through the door from the locker room. The instructor took attendance while we stretched, and when she was done, asked how long I'd been taking contemporary. I told her this would be my fifth year.

After class, Maddie and I talked for a couple minutes while we changed, and then we both went to our separate vehicles.

* * *

When I got home, I hung my helmet on the hook on the row of pegs bolted onto the wall, and started towards my room. Mom was in the living room as I passed.

"How was your first day of school?" Mom asked. I paused at the bottom of the steps and turned to face her.

"It was good. I made a new friend, and she happens to be in all of my dance classes. We're both trying out for team, but she's been in it since freshman year." I said.

"That's great. Anything else interesting happened today?" She asked.

"I got paired with the neighbor for projects in two different classes." I said.

"Lydia?" Mom asked.

"Actually, her brother Kiernan." I said. Then I went upstairs so I could put my backpack and dance bag in my room, and then go take a shower.

* * *

After my shower, I blow dried my hair. I'd usually just let it air dry, but I wanted out of the way and dry while I tried to work on two different projects.

When I got back to my room, only a towel wrapped around my body, I nearly screamed. Kiernan was lying on his back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. "Oh, hey, Lyric." He said, looking at me when I came in. "Your mom sent me up, I don't think she realized you were still in the shower."

"What time is it?" I asked, going over to my armoire and pulling out undergarments, a tank top, and shorts.

"It's just after four." Kiernan said, looking at his phone. I went behind my dressing screen and put the towel over the top.

"Oh. The Instructor wanted to talk to me after class, so I got a little held up." I said, pulling on my bra and underwear. I could see the silhouette of him get up and run a hand along the wall.

"This is neat. Is it some wallpaper or something?" Kiernan asked as I pulled on my shorts, and then my top.

"I painted it yesterday." I told him.

"You painted this?" He asked.

"Told you, I'm a performing arts and visual arts kind of girl." I told him, coming out from behind the screen. I sat on the edge of my bed, and pulled a notebook out of my backpack, as well as a pen to write with. I flipped to an open page. "So, how do we want to go about doing this?"

Kiernan pulled a notebook and pencil from a small drawstring bag he and brought, and sat next to me. "Maybe like a twenty questions sort of thing? Take turns asking questions?" Kiernan suggested.

"Sure. I'll go first. What's your favorite color?" I asked.

"I would go with dark green. Somewhere around the shade that your eyes are, a dark shade." Kiernan said. "I've just always liked that color." I wrote down his answer.

"My favorite color would be light green, because it's so affiliated with nature and blooming plants. Kinda like your eye color. Or that beanbag over there." I pointed to my beanbag. He wrote it down.

"Favorite food?" He asked.

"Homemade vegan cheesecake, which is made with tofu, with strawberry or cherry pie filling on top. One of the best foods you will ever taste." I said.

"My favorite food is venison. Delicious." Kiernan said.

"Venison is good." I agreed, writing it down.

We went back and forth with more trivial questions like that, until he asked "What's one secret you've never told anyone before?"

"Getting gossipy are you?" I asked.

"You don't have to tell. But I won't share it if you do. Promise." He said.

"Let me think a moment." I said. "No one knows I've got a tattoo." He raised an eyebrow.

"A tattoo? Can I see it?" He asked. I stood from the bed, and turned. I pulled down the side of my shorts a little so he could see the intricately designed blooming pink and white flower. "Cool." He said. I pulled the shorts back up and sat back down.

"When and why did you get the tattoo?" Kiernan asked.

"I got it last year, after a particularly bad day. It was the anniversary of a bad day, actually, and it seemed like everyone was just trying to upset me. I got it to remind myself that I'm free now. That I'm not in that bad place anymore. Because nature makes me feel so free. No one owns nature, it's just there, and it does anything no matter what you want." I said, staring down at my notebook.

"Something I've never told anyone before is that my music is my outlet. I mean, Lydia knows I play every night, and my parents know from whenever they're here, but it's so much more than that. I can pour all of my feeling into playing." Kiernan said.

"When your parents are here?" I asked.

"They travel a lot for work. They wanted Lydia and I to stay here for high school, but they're homeschooling Mason for elementary and middle school." Kiernan explained. "Mason is our little brother. He's just barely ten."

"How often are your parents here?" I asked, a little concerned.

"They make sure they visit at least once every two weeks, and they call or text a couple times a week." Kiernan said. Okay, at least they weren't like neglecting them.

After we wrote down each other's answers for that question, we switched to working on the song. I pulled out my journal, and we worked on the lyrics and the time for awhile before Kiernan went back to his house. After putting away my journal and notebook, I spent the rest of the afternoon painting my flowering vines around the hexagonal window.

* * *

Tuesday morning, I woke and took a shower and went to school and class as normal. Kiernan again came over around four to work on our projects. This time, he ended up lying on his back on my bed, and I ended up on my beanbag, on my stomach.

"So, same as yesterday?" Kiernan asked.

"Sure." I said. "You can go first."

"Alright, favorite song?" Kiernan asked.

"Force of Nature by Bea Miller. Though, there are a couple close seconds." I said.

"My favorite song would have to be Heartlines by Florence and the Machine." Kiernan said.

"It is a good song." I agreed. "Alright, best friend?"

"Chase Walker. I've known him for years, most people in this town have, as people rarely move in or out." Kiernan said. "You?"

"That'd have to be Jay. After moving around, I never much made friends. Jay always did, though, he's always been popular." I said.

"You moved around alot?" Kiernan asked.

"Kind of. I've never much made many friends in the first place, and we've moved a couple of times for things like Mom's job and other reasons." I explained.

"What job makes you move around so much? What are the other reasons?" Kiernan asked. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that, that's horribly impersonal of me."

"No, it's fine. The other reasons were all for me. I'm not originally a Tucker, I'm adopted. Mom adopted me when I was seven, after a year of bouncing around foster homes." I said. "And we had to move one or two times because we were too close to specific foster homes. When close enough, I'd get such horrible anxiety attacks, and Mom packed us up and moved just for me."

"That's harsh." Kiernan said. I just nodded. His phone buzzed and he read a text. "Next question. Do you like dress shopping?"

"What?" I asked.

"After we're done working on the projects, Lydia wants to take you with her to go get a new dress for a party someone's hosting tomorrow night. She said to ask but that you don't really have a choice." Kiernan explained. I laughed.

"Tell her I'd love to." I said. He sent a text back to her.

After some more questions, we worked more on our song. At this point, we were just under halfway through writing it.

* * *

I walked out the door with Kiernan after grabbing my wallet, phone, and jacket. Lydia was borrowing his car, so as to drive us both to a place somewhere across town.

I ended up sitting in the passenger seat, and Lydia and I chatted as she drove. When we arrived, Lydia parked and we got out. The place was a little shop called Vintage Attitude. They had a wide range of things inside, mostly clothing for any occasion, but Lydia dragged me over to an area that held many different dresses, formal and informal.

After much debate and Lydia making me try on about a million dresses, I finally chose one. It was a light red thing covered in little white polka dots. The neckline was high, just above the collarbone, and the sleeves covered only the top of the shoulder. The dress reached down to just above my knees, and hugged my body a little.

And, after much more debate and trying on dresses, Lydia finally chose a dress for herself. It was a light blue dress with flower petals designs down the left side, and it had a scoop neckline, while it reached the middle of her thighs.

After we paid for the dresses, we went back home, Lydia into her own house and me into mine. I put the dress in my armoire and spent the rest of the afternoon painting the night sky onto the ceiling in one of the two rooms we had designated as guest rooms.

* * *

 **And there it is!**

 **Sooo sorry I missed Tuesday's update, that's the day we headed up to Camp, and with getting everything in the truck, driving there, and not getting back until today, I didn't have a moment (or Internet service) to post, so I'm posting two chapters today.**

 **Thank you to anyone w** **ho has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

Wednesday passed the same as Monday and Tuesday had, except that dance was contemporary and I was going to a party after Kiernan and I worked on our projects.

"Hurry up and change." Lydia told me. She had come up to my room just as Kiernan and I were finishing for the day on our projects. We had finished questioning each other, and were leaving Thursday, tomorrow, to create our portraits. And we were further along in our song, would likely finish Friday. When Lydia had come up, Kiernan hadn't moved, and was instead still lying on my bed, waiting for us. He was driving us.

"I'm going." I said with a laugh, taking my dress and going behind my dressing screen. I quickly changed into the dress, and went to my vanity to put on mascara, eyeliner, and red lipstick that matched the dress. I grabbed my red and white polka dot purse, which matched the dress perfectly. It was a purse that laid across your chest, and rested at a hip. I stuck my phone and lipstick in it.

"Are you almost ready?" Lydia asked impatiently. I laughed, and ran my fingers through my hair quickly. My hair was naturally very wavy, but it was usually a mess. But right now, it looked good, having not had a brush through it or been blow dried after my shower.

"I'm ready, but you've just got to pick me out some shoes." I told Lydia. She was out the door in seconds, causing me to laugh again as Kiernan and I followed after her. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, she handed me my tall black boots that reached just under my knees. I quickly put them on.

* * *

There were already a ton of people there when we got to the party. Jay had gone earlier than us, because he had been able to work on his projects with his different partners right after school, rather than at four, because he didn't have class.

For about an hour and a half, I just hung out with Lydia and Maddie. We danced a bit, talked a little, laughed a lot. Eventually, Lydia went to dance with some boy from school who had asked her to dance, and Maddie had to leave because she was supposed to be home by a certain time.

I was standing by the snack table, sipping on a glass of water, when someone approached me. I set my cup down, having finished it anyways. "Hey, you wanna dance?" His words were slurred. He was drunk. He tipped the rest of his cup into his mouth and tossed it away.

"No thank you." I said politely. He set his hands on my hips.

"C'mon baby, don't be like that." He said. I pushed him away.

"I don't want to dance." I said. He put his hands back on my hips, more forcefully this time.

"You're just playing hard to get." He said, bringing his lips near my ear. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I shoved him away once more, backing up a few steps, but my back hit the wall. He stepped towards me.

"I am not playing hard to get, bastard, I just want you to leave me alone." I told him. He gripped my hips painfully hard, and I couldn't push him off this time.

"No one likes a tease." He told me. He leaned close and whispered in my ear. "Why don't we take this somewhere more private?" I shuddered in disgust. Thankfully, someone ripped him away from me moments later.

"Leave my sister the hell alone. She said she doesn't want to dance, so keep your filthy hands off of her." Jay said angrily. The kid ran off. Jay turned to me, and spoke, tone softer. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. The most I've got is a couple bruises on my hips. I'll survive." I reassured him. He glanced out a window at the rain. "I think I'll just go for a walk and calm down. I'll call you if I need anything, okay?" He nodded, and watched as I exited the house and began walking through the pouring rain.

* * *

I wasn't even halfway down the street when the kid showed up again, this time with two friends. They blocked my way walking down the sidewalk. "Can you just get out of my way? I'm really not in the mood to deal with this." I said, irritated.

"Listen here, doll. You can either come with us willingly, or you can take the hard way." The original kid said.

I sighed. "How about we go with the hard way in which I beat all three of you bastards up if you lay a single finger on me?" I asked.

"Like you could do that." The kid smirked.

"You wanna test me?" I asked, pushing stray hairs behind my ear. Whenever I didn't have my hair up, I covered my right ear, but I pushed the hair behind my left hairs though I kept it all over the front of my shoulders.

One of his two friends stepped forward and tried to grab me. I clocked him right in the nose. He stumbled back and fell on his ass, blood starting to pour from his nose. He didn't get back up, just sat there clutching at his nose.

His other friend looked more cautious, but still came at me. I round kicked him in the head, and he fell to the ground, not unconscious, but looking at it. That left only the original kid standing.

"You gonna try me too?" I asked. He looked angry, but let me pass, only to come at me from behind about fifty feet down the street. But I expected something like that, and easily got him off of me. "What the hell is wrong with you, bastard?" I asked. He slapped me across the face. I didn't really feel it, but the rain picked up even more and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"You just beat up my friends!" He yelled.

"Well, duh, I said I would if you didn't let me go past." I said. "What? You expected a girl afraid of breaking her nails or even getting a speck of dirt on her dress? Yeah, that's not me. Not at all. Next time, know who you're dealing with."

He tried grabbing for me again, and I managed to get him off. When he tried yet again, I let him think he had me, while discreetly reaching for my purse. It took me all of a few moments to get out the Swiss army knife I always kept in his purse, and to open the blade and drag it quickly across his thigh. He yelled and jumped back. I closed the blade and put it away.

"You stabbed me!" He yelled. I snorted.

"Please. That's barely a scratch. There's, like, two drops of blood. The biggest thing that did was tear your jeans a little." I told him. He had a look of utter shock and anger on his face. He stepped forward and raised his hand to slap me again, but screamed and jumped back when a bolt of lightning struck about three centimeters from his foot. He probably felt the heat of it much more than I did, being closer, and I could feel the heat a good bit.

"Are you going to keep trying and dragging this on, or are you just going to leave? I could kick your ass all night, if you wanted, bastard." I asked. He turned and ran off down the street. As soon as he was gone, I sank to my knees on the pavement.

I was there for about three minutes before Jay was beside me, shaking my shoulders and telling me to look at him. I faintly registered Kiernan standing near him. Finally, I looked at Jay with tear filled eyes. " _I almost killed him._ " This really horrified me. Even if I sometimes causes things like storms, I had never deliberately hurt a person with my powers. The fact that I had come so close to doing so, when I could've perfectly handled myself and didn't need it for self defense.

" _I saw the bolt, Lee. But don't worry about that. He's perfectly alright, and besides, he doesn't know that was you. It's okay, you haven't harmed anyone and you're all good._ " Jay told me.

" _You're sure?_ " I asked.

" _I'm sure._ " Jay told me, and pulled me close to envelop me in a hug. I hugged him back tightly. He pulled back after a moment. "Now, mind getting out of this rain?"

I laughed. "Yeah, sorry." I said. A minute or two later, the rain had slowed to a stop and the sun had come back out. Well, as much as it would be for this late in October.

"What the hell?" Kiernan asked, looking up at the sky. I cursed. I had forgotten he was standing there. I looked at Jay, panicked, and he nodded slightly.

"Promise you'll tell no one, and I'll explain." I said to Kiernan. He promised. "I kinda have control over nature, including the weather and stuff. Don't know why, never have, found it sometime when I was, like, eight, and I've only ever told Jay about it."

"And yet again, you're full of surprises." Kiernan commented.

"You're not freaked out or anything?" I asked.

"Nah, there are perfectly natural yet stranger things in this world. What's one girl with power over nature and weather?" Kiernan asked. I shrugged at that.

"Hey, Jay, mind giving me a ride home?" I asked. Jay nodded and helped me up from the wet pavement. I was completely soaked, having been out walking in the rain, but Kiernan and Jay weren't as soaked.

* * *

When I got home, Mom was in the living room. She took one look at me and asked what happened.

"Stupid drunk guy. Jay scared him off, then he showed up with two friends when I went outside for a walk. One hit and the two were down, but I ended up resorting to the Swiss army to get rid of the original guy. Barely a scratch, but he screamed that I stabbed him. There was, like, two drops of blood. I managed to scare him off, though, and Jay gave me a ride home. It was, unfortunately, raining while I was outside." I explained. She just nodded. She trusted me, and in her opinion, what I had done in self defense was perfectly alright.

I went upstairs and took a shower, then played my guitar for a little while before going to bed.

* * *

The next morning, I was called into the office when art started. When I got there, the secretary directed me into the principal's office. Mom was in there, as well as the kid from the party and two adults who I assumed were his parents. I noticed the kid was wearing a large bandage over his leg. Over Dramatic, much?

I took a seat beside my mom. The principal spoke. "Are you aware of our no violence policy here?" He asked me. I nodded. "As the only highschool of this town, we have to bring consequence to events such as last night's, even when they do not happen on school grounds."

"And on what grounds would you punish me for?" I asked. I knew exactly where this was going.

"On grounds of attacking Mr. Johnson and two fellow students, one of those attacks allegedly involving a knife." The principal said.

"I'd have to tell you those grounds are false, sir." I said.

"You fucking stabbed me, clocked Murphy, and roundhouse kicked John!" The kid said angrily.

"It was all in self defense." I said to the principal, ignoring the kid.

"Explain." He said.

"I was by the snack table, when he came up to me and asked me to dance." I said, pointing at the kid. "I politely declined, as, one, I did not know him, and, two, I could tell he was drunk. He grabbed me, I pushed him off, and he repeated the action twice more, calling me a tease and saying we should go somewhere private. He ran off after my brother threw him off of me."

"I decided to go outside for a walk, and I wasn't even halfway down the street when he showed up with two friends and said I could go willingly with them or take the hard way. I said I'd take the hard way in which I beat them up if they laid a single finger on me. I swear, I wouldn't touch a person who's done me no harm." I said. "The first guy grabs for me, I left him on the ground clutching a bleeding nose. Second guy comes at me, I round kicked him in the side of the head, left him sitting on the ground, too. And it's a round kick, not a roundhouse kick." I corrected the kid, and he glared.

"A girl who's taken taekwondo so long should definitely know the difference." I said. "Anyways, there was a bit of a scuffle, a few blows exchanged between me and him, mostly him trying to grab at me and me defending. Realizing I'd need to scare him off, I let him think he had won, and took out my Swiss army knife. I left barely a scratch on him. There was maybe two drops of blood. Most it did was rip his jeans. I asked if he was gonna keep trying, told him I could kick his ass all night long. He ran off." I finished.

"You're a lying bitch! You attacked us for no reason!" The kid yelled.

I stood abruptly from my chair, but kept my expression and tone calm. "No, I didn't, because you and your friends aren't worth letting nine years of my life go to waste over. Had I attacked without provocation, using the techniques I did, I'd be kicked out of the organization, and I'd never be allowed to take taekwondo again. I did not spend nine years of my life getting to where I am, just to lose it all to some petty high schoolers looking for a fight." I sat back down and looked at the principal. "It was all self defense against someone who not only attacked me, but suggested trying to force themselves on me." I told the principal.

"While I can't let you go unpunished, you really haven't done wrong in this situation." The principal told me. "You'll be suspended for the rest of today and tomorrow."

"One quick question." I said. He nodded at me to continue. "Am I allowed to watch the football practice tomorrow afternoon? They're letting my brother tryout because he missed the original tryouts and they could use mother player if they think he's good enough."

"You may." He told me, and turned to the kid "Mr. Johnson, you are suspended until next Wednesday. You may return to school next Thursday." The kid just kept right on glaring at me.

* * *

When we got home, mom told me to enjoy my long weekend and left for work. She wasn't going to punish, me, not for something entirely done in self defense.

Having nothing else much to do, I set out my tap, easel, and a canvas, and began to work on my portrait of Kiernan. I finished at about lunch time, which is when I got checked my phone while eating.

Jay and Kiernan were asking how long I was suspended, realizing my call to the office had to do with last night; while Lydia and Maddie, who had absolutely no idea about last night, were asking where I was. I texted them all back quickly, answering their questions.

Kiernan texted me back again immediately. He wanted to know how much time he other kid got, and who the other kid was. I told him til next Wednesday, and said I only knew that the kid's last name was Johnson. He responded with saying he knew of only one Johnson whatsoever at the school that was male, and so he knew exactly who it was. I persuaded him not to beat the kid up, saying I had already done that enough.

I spent the rest of the day until dance painting, in the room in which I had painted stars on the ceiling. I painted the room to look like a grassy meadow at nighttime, to match the above stars. I managed to do about half of the wall to the left of the door, before I had to clean up and get ready to go to dance team tryouts.

* * *

The tryouts were actually quite simple. They taught us all a short routine, and we memorized and performed it together as a group. Afterwards, they announced we had all gotten in, as not too many people were trying out, maybe fourteen or fifteen people. They also announced that I was the only new member not returning from a previous year of team. We spent the rest of the time talking and introducing ourselves, something they always did on tryouts after they announced who made it, even when it was the exact same girls as a previous year.

* * *

Kiernan was again in my room when I got out of the shower. I grabbed clothes and changed behind my dressing screen, not that I didn't do it even when people weren't in my room, and then we talked a bit before working on our song. When we were done, the song was pretty far along. We probably only needed tomorrow to finish, and then we'd have a week to rehearse. I also gave Kiernan my portrait to hand in for me tomorrow, seeing as I couldn't go in. He said it was really good, and I blushed, waving away the compliment.

After he left, I spent the rest of the evening sleeping, because, why not when you can get up at whatever time you want the next day?

* * *

 **This chapter's just more of a filler chapter, but, hey, who doesn't love glimpsing the little things in life as well as the big events? Only makes it more realistic, at least, to me, it does.**

 **Also - I've never taken taekwondo. (Actually got the idea from my friend - she's a second degree black belt and helps teach some classes for the younger kids, and she's only fifteen.) Everything in here is from research, so feel free to tell me if I messed anything up and I'll be happy to correct it.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the day-late update, but Monday was my stepmom's bday and yesterday was my dad's bday. (They're actually a year apart, not born the same year, but it's neat their bdays line up.) We didn't do all that much together, my dad didn't even take off work for his _own_ bday, but I did spend the day off my laptop, for the most part. Also I baked him a cake, would've done one for my stepmom too, but she's actually the one who came up with the idea so I just facetimed her while she was at work so me and my brother (sister's in another state with her own dad) could sing to her as well and so they could sing to each other when we did the cake around one forty-fifty or so before he left for work. [Also: I try to keep it at a minimum, but you may have by now noticed I overshare a lot! So sorry for that, I guess it's just kinda a habit. I usually edit out like half the notes I write at the end of my chapters, but I do tend to ramble, as well. And would you look at that, I did it once again. Sorry.]**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

I pretty much spent Friday continuing to paint the first guest room. By the time I had to clean up and get ready to head to the school to watch Jay's tryouts, I had finished the left wall and started on the back one, getting about a third or so of it done.

When I got to the school and went to the football field, I sat on the bleachers with Maddie and Lydia. Maddie handed me all of my work from yesterday and today, which I had asked her to get. I could do it over the weekend, two day's class work really wasn't that much.

"Lee!" Jay called. I looked at him from the bleachers and shook my head. He gave me puppy dog eyes, and I sighed.

"Fine!" I called back. He smiled broadly.

I went down to join him on the football field. He was a fast runner, and he always used to have me throw footballs for him to catch. I was great at throwing a perfect spiral.

I threw the ball to Jay, and he caught it as he ran. He'd run back to me about halfway and toss the ball back. We went on like that for a few minutes until the team was out on the field with the coach, watching us. I tossed the ball to the coach, who caught it, and went back up to the bleachers to sit with Maddie and Lydia.

I watched as the coach had Jay do a couple of different things to see where his talents lie, and I watched as he set up a little simulation. "Ashton, Tucker, you're offense. The rest of you, you're the other team. Go." The coach tossed the ball to Kiernan and nodded at him. The team and Jay set up to play. Kiernan was obviously the quarterback of the team, and the coach had set up the mini simulation so that Jay was playing the part of wide receiver. Jay would make a good wide receiver, he was exactly what the role needed. Fast, tall, and light in weight.

After running through the mini game, the coach blew the whistle and called all the boys over. "Tucker, how'd you like to be wide receiver for Spruce Creek High's football team?" The coach asked. Jay smiled wide, and the coach dismissed the boys from practice, telling Jay they'd get him a jersey by next Friday.

Maddie, Lydia, and I went down into the field to congratulate Jay, and I told him I knew the coach was setting him up for that position. He just smiled wide.

"What is she doing here?" A haughty voice asked. I turned to see Chelsey in a cheerleading outfit, coming from wherever the cheerleaders had been practicing.

"Supporting my brother in his football tryouts?" I asked. "Is that a crime?"

"Attacking people, and stabbing them is." She sneered. I sighed.

"Did you see the wound? No. And don't try to tell me you did, because it was literally just a scratch, less than you might get from falling down on the ground." I told her.

"You're a lying bitch. You attacked the three of them, and you stabbed my friend." Chelsey accused. "And we're going to gather the evidence, and report you to the police, who will lock you away like the crazy psychopath you are."

"Chelsey. Come with me." Kiernan said, walking away from us to where he was just out of earshot. Chelsey sneered at me once more, then turned and flounced over to him.

W couldn't hear what Kiernan said, but we could clearly hear Chelsey shouting at him in response. "No! I forbid it!" He said something else to her. "You will not dump me, Ashton! If this relationship is going to end, it will be on my terms!"

Kiernan said something else, then turned and started walking back towards us.. "Well, I slept with Chase last week!" She said haughtily, obviously trying to make him jealous.

He stopped for a moment, looked over his shoulder, and said "Good for you. You're both players and fakes anyways." She stormed off, and Kiernan wouldn't say anything about it when he reached us again.

* * *

In the time it took Kiernan to shower and come over after practice, I finished my schoolwork from the last two days. The teachers weren't really requiring me to do much.

When Kiernan got up to my room, his hair was still wet, and his shirt clung to his chest. I put away my finished work and we went down to the music room, me grabbing my journal first.

We were almost done writing the song when my mom entered the room. We stopped for a moment so we could hear what she was going to say.

"Okay, two things. Lyric, next Friday, I'm heading up to Blackmeadow Range for the weekend, so you'll have to find someone to stay with since we don't have spare keys yet. Jay's already figured out where he's staying. I won't be leaving until you get home though, so you'll be able to grab any last minute things or even whatever you'll need for the weekend." Mom said.

"You should bring us up for a weekend next time. I've never been, and Jay hasn't been in a couple years. I remember I never wanted to go because it was too long a drive." I said. Mom laughed.

"That's because it was always a fifteen hour drive from that area of New England. It's only two hours from here to go see my brother. But I'll bring you guys next time." Mom told me.

"Two hours is much better than fifteen. Long car rides like that make me feel claustrophobic and restless. Unless I manage to fall asleep. It's okay, then. But otherwise, I feel nauseous." I said with a shudder. Mom just smiled.

"Anyways, another thing." Mom turned to Kiernan. "Mind inviting your parents over for dinner seems they're in town tonight?"

"Sure." Kiernan said.

"I totally vote we finish this first. We're so close to done." I said.

"Well, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Your family is invited." Mom told Kiernan, and he nodded. Mom went back downstairs.

We finished the song about five minutes later. We really were close to done. We played it through once, to see how it sounded.

When we finished playing, I jumped up from my seat at the drums and hugged Kiernan, who was sitting on the piano bench. He turned and hugged me back. I was really excited, proud of the song we had written.

After a few moments, I let go of him and stood. I shoved my drumsticks in the back pocket of my skinny jeans. I left my red and black flannel unbuttoned, under which I wore an olive green tank top. "C'mon, let's go invite your family." I said as Kiernan stood from his seat.

"In a moment." He said. I gave him a confused look as he joined me by the door. My hand was on the knob, but I paused before opening it.

Instead of saying anything else, Kiernan leaned over and kissed me. His lips lingered for only a moment before he leaned back, winked at me, and said "Let's go invite my family." As we exited my house, he acted like nothing had happened. Leaving me to wonder what the hell _had_ happened.

* * *

When we got into his house, we went into the kitchen. Inside was a man and woman, Kiernan's parents.

"There you are, Kiernan. We didn't see you when we got home." His mom said.

"He was over my place. We finished the song we were writing for our music project." I said happily, waving my drumsticks in a cute little wave. When had I taken those out? I shoved them back in my pocket.

"Lyric's mom invited us all over for dinner, which will be ready in about ten minutes or so." Kiernan said.

"Alright, why don't you run upstairs and get your sister? Mason is at a weekend camp." Kiernan's dad said. He exited the room.

"So you're musically inclined?" His mom asked.

"More like performing and visual arts inclined. I'm in music and art at school, I take Contemporary and lyrical dance classes, and I paint in my free time." I said. "I'm also taking taekwondo."

My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

"Lee, there's some guy here to see you. I left him outside, said I'd get you. He says he's one of your dance instructors." Jay told me. I paled.

"Jay, do not let that man into the house. You and Mom need to stay away from the door. I'll be there soon." I said, and hung up. I looked at Kiernan's parents. "I need you to do a couple things for me. One, call the police and tell them that there is a dangerous man outside your home. Two, do not leave this house. I wouldn't put it past him to harm anyone who got in his way."

They looked frightened and confused, but Kiernan's dad pulled out his phone. I immediately left the house and went over to mine, where he was waiting by the front door.

" _How did you find me?_ " I asked him.

"You will speak to your father in English." He told me.

" _I'm good._ " I told him. He slapped me across the face, but I barely felt it. " _Why are you here?_ "

"Isn't it obvious? I've come to collect my daughter." He told me in that hate filled voice of his.

" _I'm not an object that you can do what you like with._ " I told him. He slapped me again.

"I am your father, and I own you. Now, quit speaking that infernal language!" He shouted.

" _You're the one who taught me to speak it._ " I said.

"No, I did not. That was a trait you picked up from your insolent mother." He told me. That confused me. I never even knew her, how did you pick up a language from someone like that?

"Now, come with me." He said. "We're leaving."

" _No, we are not. You are. I'm not going with you._ " I told him. He backhanded me this time, rather than slapping me.

At this point, Mom and Jay must've realized who it was, because they came outside. Mom started to shout at my father, threatening to call the police, asking how he found us, and Jay stood protectively in front of me. I really wished they had stayed inside.

After a moment of her shouting at him, my father shoved my mother into the side of the house so hard she fell to the ground and could not do more than sit up. My father made to grab at me, but Jay grabbed his arm and kept him away. Next thing I knew, Kiernan was helping Jay restrain him.

"So that's what you do? Find out dear old dad's visiting and set up an ambush?" My father spat, his arms held tightly behind him by my brother and Kiernan.

"I told you all to stay inside!" I said. They weren't safe out here with him, even with him restrained like this. No one was.

"That's it, speak English." My father cooed.

" _Shut the fucking hell up, bastard!_ " I screamed. The wind howled and clouds covered the sun, darkening the sky.

"Where did you develop such a tendency to curse, child?" My father asked mockingly.

No one else saw it, and I almost missed it, but my father had a knife. I tackled Kiernan out of the way, so that the knife only lodged in my hand rather than his abdomen. I stepped back in surprise, but never once cried out. Jay, on the other hand, looked like he was going to vomit, while Kiernan was stunned. Mom was still in the ground, but she had managed to prop herself up.

"Damn girl." My father cursed as Jay grabbed his other arm and Kiernan pulled himself back up.

" _What was your plan? To come get me and hurt me even more like you've always done? Or were you really going to kill me this time?_ " I asked.

"Not a single word about the blade in your hand?" My father asked, an eyebrow raised.

" _What can I say? You've toughened me._ " I replied. I pulled the blade out of my hand just as a stream of cop cars arrived.

I probably wasn't seen in the best light, holding a bloodied knife in front of a restrained man, because a cop got out of his car, gun pointed at me, and yelled at me to drop the weapon. I did so, and held up my bloodied hand that was now gushing blood. I probably shouldn't have pulled the knife out. "It's okay, I was just pulling it out of my hand." I called to the cop. He blanched for a moment, probably at the fact that I was so totally calm about this.

"Is this the dangerous man you've got restrained?" The cop asked, coming over, gun lowered but still in hand. More cops were getting out of their cars. I realized they hadn't used sirens so not as to alert the dangerous man that was called in.

"Yeah, I had the neighbors call after my brother called me while I was over there and said a man at the door claimed to be one of my dance instructors. They're all female, for my classes." I explained quickly.

"And how did you know it was a dangerous man?" The cop asked.

"Because he's pulled something like this before. Except that time he went to my school, pretending to be an uncle. When they told me I was being dismissed by my uncle, I told them my uncle lived fifteen hours away and I had never met him before, so he wouldn't be dismissing me from school." I said.

"Who is the man?" The cop asked. "A stalker?"

"Yeah, my father. _I was taken away by Child Protective Services when I was six for a reason, bastard._ " I spat the last part at my father.

That unfortunate moment was when my father decided to elbow Jay in the gut, run about the yards, and turn back around, gun in hand. He pointed it at the officer, whose own gun was aimed. Every other officer there had their guns trained on him, too.

"Lyric, be a dear and come here, before I shoot one of your friends." My father called.

" _No._ " I said simply.

"Stop speaking that infernal language or I'll shoot you!" He shouted. I realized that it reminded him of my mother, because she had apparently know it. But I wasn't going to stop speaking a language because my psychotic father couldn't deal with his past.

" _I can speak whatever damn language I want! I don't care if you can't deal with the past and this language reminds you of my mother! I'm not just going to stop speaking a language just because my psychotic father can't deal with his past!_ " I shouted.

" _Lee, not the thing to say to an unstable man with a gun._ " Jay said in a low voice that my father could not hear. I turned to him.

" _I don't care! He abused me until I was six, showed me nothing but hate! My earliest memories are of hiding and crying and being beaten until I fell unconscious! I'll yell at the bastard however damn much I want!_ " I shouted. Tears were starting to fall down my cheeks.

The next thing I knew, a shot had gone off, I was on the ground underneath Kiernan, and a whole bunch of other shots went off.

The chaos ended about sixty seconds later, thought it felt more like sixty hours. Kiernan was still on top of me, and I was about to ask him if could get up when I saw the blood on the side of his shirt. "He shot you." I whispered.

"Did he?" Kiernan asked. He looked down at his shirt. "Guess he did."

"Kiernan, I'm dizzy." I said. It was hard to keep my eyelids open. I had lost a ton of blood after pulling that knife out of my hand.

I faintly heard someone yelling for an ambulance to be called. I felt Kiernan collapse against me, likely from the shock of it all, and you know, getting shot, just as my eyes slipped closed and I lost consciousness.

* * *

 **Oh, the little bit of a cliffhanger we've got going on here. And the sudden appearance of a deranged man. What will happen next? I don't know! (Actually, I do, but I was just saying that to be dramatic.)**

 **Just as was the case with taekwondo, I know next to nothing about football. Feel free to correct me on anything, I just did a little research to see what I could find and try to make it accurate. (God, I know more about football and basketball game/meet schedules than I ever wanted to from researching for this other fic that I work on off and on. And I don't even need it that much!)**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but I appreciate it all the same!**


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

I faintly heard someone yelling for an ambulance to be called. I felt Kiernan collapse against me, likely from the shock of it all, and you know, getting shot, just as my eyes slipped closed and I lost consciousness.

* * *

When I woke, I was in a hospital recovery room. Kiernan was in the bed beside mine. He looked to be just waking up as well.

"Great, you're both awake." A nurse said. She handed Kiernan and I each a little cup of ginger ale and a cracker. I drank quickly and ate the crackers. I was still hungry, though.

"Lyric, we'll call your mother in. Kiernan, we can only bring in one of your parents. Do you have a preference?" The nurse asked.

"Lydia." Kiernan said. His voice was dry and raspy.

"Your sister?" The nurse asked. Kiernan nodded. "Alright, I'll send for them."

A few minutes later, my mom and Lydia were both in the room. They both looked like they'd been crying. Mom immediately hugged me, but Lydia couldn't do the same to her brother, seeing as there was a huge bandage covering his side.

"So, what happened after the both of us passed out?" I asked. My voice was a bit raspy.

"They called an ambulance for you two. Your father was dead. Shot seventeen times in the head and chest. That's what happens when you shoot with so many officers around." Mom said, stroking my hair.

"He's really gone?" I asked.

"He's really gone." Mom confirmed. I let out a shaky laugh.

"One less thing in this world to worry about." I said.

Lydia came over and hugged me, telling me she couldn't believe I hadn't even flinched at a knife being hired in my hand, couldn't believe I just pulled it out like that. I only smiled at her sadly. Six years of my father and a year of horrid foster homes had toughened me up to considerable amounts of pain.

The nurse came back in a moment later. "Alright, you're both on pain medication right now. You'll be sent home with some more, take as needed, but do not take more than one tablet per three hours." The nurse told us. She then told us each about our injuries.

"You're lucky the knife missed everything important in your hand, and hit at such an angle that it didn't sever any bones. You are also lucky we had your blood type on hand, as you were close to bleeding out. You shouldn't pull something like that out yourself, next time rush to a doctor if you can. If you do need to pull it out, wrap something around the wound and put pressure on it." She told me. "You also won't be able or allowed to use that hand until further notice. You've got a checkup on next Tuesday, though you seem to be healing at a bit of a miraculous rate."

Then she went over to Kiernan. "The bullet hit your side, but didn't go very far in. In that, you were extremely lucky. If it had gone any farther, it very well may have gone far enough to pierce a lung. You'll have to take it easy for the time being, so you can't continue to play football. You, too, seem to be healing at a bit of a miraculous rate."

Then the nurse spoke to both of us. "Keep your injuries wrapped up. Neither of you have any stitches or staples, as your wounds should be able to close on their own. After showers, you'll need to rewrap your wounds right away. And be careful when touching your wounds, you don't want to aggravate them or cause more trouble."

We both acknowledged that we understood. The nurse left, and Mom told us we were both allowed to leave today. She told us clothes had been brought from our houses for us to change into, and then she and Lydia left. The bags were beside the beds, on the little table in the center. I took mine and turned away from Kiernan, while he turned the other way.

I, of course, ran into trouble right away. Mom was probably in a rush when she was grabbing clothes for me, because she hadn't thought to grab a sports bra, which I would've easily been able to put on. No, she had grabbed a strapless bra that clasped in the front. Being in the front made things a little easier, but I still was unable to clasp it, only being able to use my left wrist to hold the bra against my chest while I fumbled with the clasp with the other hand and the bra kept slipping. After I few minutes, I started cursing at it.

"Lyric?" Kiernan asked.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Having troubles?" He asked. I didn't say anything. "Do you need help?" I didn't answer.

Kiernan moved to stand in front of me. I blushed a little. I'd never been this undressed in front of someone before, except in a towel, coming back from the shower, but that was a bit different. Kiernan was in a similar state of undress, wearing only a pair of light gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips, and a large bandage wrapped around his chest, so that it could stay on his side. I couldn't help but notice, though, that the visible parts of his chest were well defined.

"Do you want help?" Kiernan asked. I shook my head, gaze glued to the floor, still clutching the bra against my chest. "Are you going to be able to get it on your own?" I shook my head again. Kiernan reached up and took the ends, pulling them closed and clasping my bra for me. I squeezed my eyes closed and blushed even harder as his hands brushed my chest. After he clasped it, Kiernan moved away. I noticed him staring, though, at my chest, as I pulled on sweatpants and a tank top.

"Are you going to need help walking?" I asked after slipping on my flip flops. Our parents had, thankfully, brought shoes easy to put on with our injuries.

"Quite possibly." Kiernan admitted. "Still a bit out of it from the painkillers they gave us before we woke up."

"Same here." I said.

Kiernan tried walking towards the door, but couldn't make it very far on his own. I went over and slipped his arm over my shoulders so that I could help support him. Before we actually left the room, though, Kiernan stopped at the door. I was about to ask what he was doing when he pressed his lips to mine. Then he winked and started to walk again, and I, supporting him, had no choice but to continue, too.

As we went out to the lobby waiting room area, Kiernan again pretended like nothing had happened, leaving me again very confused.

Thankfully, our families waiting in the lobby knew we were out of it on pain meds, and didn't smother us, just brought us to our homes and let us sleep off everything that had happened.

* * *

I woke up to my alarm at seven thirty on Saturday. Well, that's when I got up. I actually woke at around six. I wasn't in any pain, like when having a knife lodged in my hand didn't faze me, I had a high pain tolerance.

I took a shower, wrapped my hand up again, blow dried my hair, and put on a tank top and yoga pants. I wasn't going from school, so I could wear dance clothes to the studio.

I couldn't use my hand, so I couldn't drive my motorcycle, so Jay was going to be my ride for school and dance until I could.

When Maddie got to dance, she gaped at my hand. "What happened?" She asked.

"I was stabbed." I said with a shrug. She had a shocked look on her face.

"I've been hearing a lot of rumors about something happening by your house. What's the real story?" Maddie asked. Dance hadn't started yet, so we had time to talk while we used our extra time to stretch.

"Mom asked Kiernan and I to invite his family over for dinner, so we finished our song because we had very little left to do, and went over there. His parents sent him up to get Lydia, asked me a couple questions, and then Jay called me staying a man claiming to be one of my dance instructors was at the door." I started.

"None of our instructors are male. Not for our classes." Maddie said.

"Yeah. I told Jay not to let him in, and to keep himself and Mom away from the door. I hung up, and told Kiernan parents to call the cops and tell them there was a dangerous person outside their home, and told them to stay inside. Then I went outside." I continued.

"Dangerous person?" Maddie asked.

"I knew who he was. He tried pulling something like that once before, except he pretended to be an uncle and tried to dismiss me from school. All I had to tell the school was that I had never met my uncle, and besides, he lived fifteen hours away at the time." I explained. "So I went outside and I asked him how he found me. He told me I would speak to my father in English, as I had spoken Ancient Greek. I just asked why he had come, still in Greek. He said he came to collect his daughter, I said I'm not an object, he told me he's my father and he owns me, then told me again to speak English. I said he's the one who taught me the language, and he said I actually picked it up from my insolent mother, which confused me, because I've literally never met her. She gave birth to me and left him. He said to go with him, and I said I wasn't going to. During all this, he slapped me a couple times, backhanded me once."

Maddie looked horrified. "At this point, Mom and Jay came out. Jay stood in front of me, and Mom started yelling at him. He threw mom into the side of the house so hard she couldn't pull herself back up. Jay grabbed his arm, and then Kiernan grabbed his other arm. I don't even know when Kiernan came out. He said 'So that's what you do? You find out dear old dad is visiting and ambush him?' I yelled, saying I'd told them all to stay inside. That was the first time I had spoken English in front of my father yesterday afternoon, and he made a comment about it. I went back to Greek and cursed at him. He mockingly asked where I developed such a tendency to curse." I explained. I took a deep breath. "I was the only one who saw the knife. I shoved Kiernan out of the way. Instead of him getting a knife lodged in his abdomen, I got a knife lodged in my hand." I held up my left hand wrapped in bandages.

"Sounds like a horrid man." Maddie said. I could tell she didn't know what else to say. I laughed and agreed.

"Anyways, Jay grabbed his other arm while Kiernan pulled himself back up. I asked my dad want his plan was. To finally kill me? He raised an eyebrow and said 'Not a single word about the knife in your hand?' My response was 'What can I say? You've toughened me.' I don't feel pain, not anymore, not really." I said. "At this point, I pulled the knife out of my hand. Not my brightest idea. Especially because a ton of cops arrived right then. They hadn't used sirens so as not to alert the dangerous person called in. One cop had his gun pointed at me, told me to drop the weapon. After all, I held a bloody knife and was in front of a restrained man. I dropped it, showed him my hand, and told him not to worry, I'd just pulled it from my hand."

"What did the cop do?" Maddie asked.

"He looked very surprised that I was so calm about pulling a knife out of my hand. One that had literally gone all the way through to the other side thought it wasn't a very big knife. Tiny little thing, but whatever. Anyways, he asked if he was the dangerous man. I explained and answered a couple questions. I spat at my father that Child Protective Services took me away for a reason when I was six." I said.

"I heard there were gunshots." Maddie said.

"Yeah, after I made that last comment, he elbowed Jace in the gut, ran like ten years, then turned around with a gun in his hand, pointed in our general direction. Told me to go over there before he shot one of my friends. I said no. He told me to stop speaking that language or he'd shoot me. I realized something, it reminded him of my mother, if she spoke it. I didn't care, and I told him so, ending with 'I won't stop speaking a language just because my psychotic father can't deal with his past.' Jay quietly told me that was not the right thing to say to an unstable man. He was the only one that understood what I had said, because I wouldn't stop speaking to Um dad in Greek." I said. "After Jay said that to me, I turned to him and started yelling, in English, about how my father had abused me until I was six and those were all my earliest memories, and I said I'd yell at him however damn much I wanted."

I glanced at Maddie. "I don't have to keep telling the story. It kinda gets a bit horrid after that."

"It's already horrid. Besides, I'd rather know the truth than all these crazy rumors. Some people are idiots, by the way." Maddie said. I just laughed.

"Well, the next thing I know, I hear a shot and I'm on the ground, with Kiernan on top of me. A whole bunch more shots ring out, and the chaos ends about sixty seconds later. I was about to ask Kiernan to move when I saw the blood on his side. My damn father shot him when he pushed me out of the way. I said something like 'he shot you'. Kiernan didn't even realize it at first. And then I said I was dizzy. I knew that was from blood loss. And I kind of just fell unconscious, and Kiernan collapsed on top of me." I finished.

"What happened to your father?" Maddie asked.

"He shot when there was a ton of officers in the scene. Yeah, don't do that. Or you might just get seventeen bullets to the head and chest. Mom told me after Kiernan and I woke in a recovery room in a hospital." I said.

After dance, I said goodbye to Maddie and went out to the parking lot where Jay was waiting to drive me home. When we got home, I took a shower and went upstairs, where I then proceeded to sleep all day. I did the same on Sunday, as I wanted to still go to school on Monday, but Mom told me I had to rest all weekend if I wanted to go.

* * *

When I got to school on Monday, people were whispering and looking at me strangely. Probably just thinking about all the rumors Maddie said were going around. I hadn't specifically heard any, but some of them were probably bad.

I was sitting at my seat in art class when Chelsey approached me. Kiernan and Jay were sitting at the table in front of me. "So you stab someone, accuse them of faking it, and then go fake your own wound?" She asked.

"I didn't fake anything." I said.

"You're lying. You made it all up." She sneered.

"I suppose if I made up this stab wound, I made up Kiernan's gunshot wound." I said. She glanced at Kiernan, surprised. "And if I made those up, I surely made up my psychotic father who tried to kill me. But if my own father was made up, how would I be here right now? Wouldn't I myself be made up?" I asked her. She just glared.

"I mean, I could unwrap my hand and show you, but I doubt you'd actually want to see it. It's a bit bloody." I said. She kind of paled, turned, and flounced away to her seat.

When I got to music, I waited for Kiernan, and then we went over to the teacher. She looked up when we approached. "We have a few concerns about performing our song." I said.

"You won't have to perform if you can't. We understand that you were injured." She said.

"I can still perform my piece." Kiernan said.

"And I can perform part of mine. I'm just worried I won't be able to hold my drumsticks." I said.

"If you are unable to use your hand by Friday, you can come to my classroom during lunch and play, once you are able, for your grade. Or, if you are able to perform Friday, you'll be allowed to play from sheet music or wherever you've written the music, you won't have to play from memorization." The teacher told us.

"Thank you." I said.

After dance, Kiernan came over, and we practiced as much as we could, menacing everything but the drums. But the drums were a big part of the song, so it was definitely a bit hard.

* * *

Tuesday and Wednesday passed much the same as Monday, except that I had to be very careful during taekwondo, and Kiernan and I had to go to the hospital for them to do follow-ups.

After the follow-up, I was told I would be allowed to use my hand, but that I would have to keep it wrapped up, and keep careful. Nothing too extreme just yet, so I'd still probably have to refrain from sparring in taekwondo, but I could drive my bike, the biggest thing I was looking forward to. I could also play the drums again.

* * *

 **And so Lyric heals extremely quickly. The doctors are amazed. I wonder why she has healed so quickly? Stay tuned to find out. (May or may not be revealed in the next chapter, but based off of what you might already know of my little mini-series, you can probably guess.)**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	8. Chapter 7

**I missed Tuesday's update, and for that, I am sooooo sorry! I checked today and felt really bad when I saw that I missed a day.**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 **AsSoonAs -** _Thank you for the review! Eventually, yes, that is the point - you'll have more of an idea of the entire plan/motive if you read_ More Than A Demigod _, but this story focuses a little more on the before, as well. The story picks up pretty quickly, I think the first few chapters were the most detail I've actually ever written, anywhere, and I try not to use too much, but it happens sometimes. Again, thank you for the review, and I definitely do plan to update more, my current schedule is updating on Tuesdays and Fridays!_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 _Disclaimer (for chapter): I do not own Conqueror by Aurora. (Seriously, you should check her out. She's amazing.)_

* * *

 _Disclaimer (for chapter) #2: I do not own Dracula by Bea Miller. (Yet another amazing song.)_

* * *

Thursday again passes the same, except Kiernan and I were able to go through a full practice of our song. And Friday passed the same, until lunchtime.

Halfway through lunch, those in the two music classes had to head down to the auditorium. We were given the rest of the lunch period to prepare, and the last two periods of the day would be used for the performance. Any extra time afterwards would just be spent in the auditorium, because there probably wouldn't be much time left.

Kiernan and I were going last, while Maddie and Jay were going second to last. Which meant the four of us had to sit backstage for forever. You would go out into the auditorium after grabbing your stuff only after your performance. I had my helmet sitting on my bag. Though my stuff was the absolute farthest from the door to go out towards the auditorium, though, because the people going sooner had put their stuff closer. I also had given Lydia my phone, and she had promised both performances with both her phone and mine.

When Jay and Maddie's turn came around, I was a bit of a nervous wreck while watching from the wings. All the instruments were set about the stage, so you would just find whichever you needed, and perform from there. Luckily, the piano and drum set were next to each other.

I didn't realize I was gripping my lucky drumsticks tightly until Kiernan set a hand on top of mine. I replaced my grip, and looked down at my drumsticks. They were wooden, but had been spray painted silver. I'd had them for forever, and the paint was peeled off in a couple spots.

It was soon our turn. I took a deep breath and we went out onstage as Jay and Maddie went offstage. Jay smiled warmly at me, and I smiled back.

As we sat ourselves down, our music teacher announced our song. "Conqueror by Kiernan Ashton and Lyric Tucker." Then she walked offstage, and we began to play.

"Broken mornings, broken nights and broken days in between

Open ground, the sky is open, makes an open scene

Just like in fiction, in every addiction

Oh fantasy's taking over, awake me

I've been looking for the conqueror

But you don't seem to come my way

I've been looking for the only one

But you don't seem to come my way

Broken me and broken them

You are broken too

Open ears, their eyes are open

Makes me call for you

But there's no seduction only destruction

Oh fantasy take me over and break me

[x2]

I've been looking for the conqueror

But you don't seem to come my way

I've been looking for the only one

But you don't seem to come my way

I feel ali-li-live

I feel ali-li-live

I feel ali-li-live

I feel ali-li-live

[x2]

I've been looking for the conqueror

But you don't seem to come my way

I've been looking for the only one

But you don't seem to come my way"

People clapped, Jay being the loudest, as I could see him standing from his seat and making a fool of himself. I got off of the stage as soon as I could.

As soon as we had made it backstage, I hugged Kiernan. "We did it!" I said excitedly. He hugged me back, but I made sure to be careful of his side.

After hugging him for a few moments, I went to pull away, but he pulled me back to him. Then his lips landed on mine. I was so surprised that I just stood there. A moment later, he let go of me, and winked. Then he grabbed his bag and left the backstage area. I stared after him for a few minutes, before shaking my head and grabbing my stuff. The bell rang just as I exited the backstage area.

* * *

When I got home from school, Mom was just leaving. I parked my motorcycle in the driveway, took off my helmet and set it on the seat, and went up to her. "Don't I get a hug before you leave?" I asked her. She stepped away from her car and hugged me.

"Alright, while I'm at my brother's, you two won't be able to get in the house. I'm working on getting spare keys soon, sorry about that. Close the garage door behind you when you leave, Jay went straight to his friend's house. Who are you going to stay with for the weekend?" Mom asked.

"After the Halloween party tonight, Maddie and I are going to go back to her place, so we can head to dance together tomorrow morning. Then we're going to come back here, grab Lydia and hang out. We haven't decided who's house to stay at tomorrow night." I said.

"Alright, well, I'll see you Sunday." Mom said, getting into her car. I waved to her as she backed down the driveway. Then I turned and went into the house through the garage. Mom had left the door open so I could grab any last minute things before the house was all locked up.

I went up to my room and over to my armoire. The dress for my costume was hanging up in a garment bag, and everything else was in a bag under it. I grabbed both and went back downstairs. On my way by the bathroom, I grabbed my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I was going to shower at Lydia's, whenever we started getting ready. I also grabbed my weekend bag that held clothes and necessities, as well as my dance bag for tomorrow.

Just before I exited the garage, I hit the button to open and close the door and ducked out. The garage door closed behind me, and I went over to my motorcycle. I grabbed the helmet off the seat so no one would steal it, grabbed the keys and tucked them in my pocket, and then went over to Lydia's house.

Lydia opened the door the moment I got over there. She must've seen me through a window. We went up to her room and I hung up my garment bag, then set down the rest of my stuff by the set down the rest of my stuff by the door.

* * *

After we watched a movie, Lydia practically shoved me towards the bathroom so I could go take a shower and start to get ready.

"Alright, I'm going." I said with a laugh. She just gave me a look that said 'You better be' and went downstairs to use that bathroom. I grabbed my shower stuff and headed toward the bathroom.

When I got to the bathroom, I locked the door behind me and started the shower.

* * *

After my shower, I wrapped my hand back up and wrung out my hair as much as possible. Then I blow dried my hair, combing my fingers through it to help it dry faster. Once my hair was finally dry, I secured the towel around my body, gathered up my stuff, and went back to Lydia's room. It hadn't taken me very long to shower, but then again, I took quick showers. I closed the door to Lydia's bedroom, tossed my stuff in a pile in the corner, and grabbed my costume stuff. The garment bag that held my dress also held a strapless bra and underwear that matched the color of the dress.

I quickly got dressed so I'd have enough time to finish getting ready. My dress was a deep, dark red color, and was strapless. It hugged my body at the top, but was more flowing as it reached my legs. It went down to just above my black combat boots, which I hadn't put on yet. The dress had two cutouts, large diamond shaped that exposed my sides from just above my hips to just under my bra line. I was a little self-conscious with the dress, but I really liked it. The last accessory was a pair of red fingerless fishnet gloves that went to just under my elbows.

When I was done getting dressed, I sat at Lydia's vanity. I set my phone down and played music while I started on my hair.

I was starting on the elaborate braid that wound around my head when the song Dracula came on. I, of course, started to sing along.

"Here is my story

I've got my type

Tattoos and skinny jeans

Black boots and piercings

A public enemy (Hey-ay-ay)

Not Cinderella

Still got my shoes

I like the animal

The supernatural

Maybe I'm crazy but

If you were Dracula (Hey)

I'd be letting you take that bite

Hot and hazardous (Hey)

Like playing with dynamite

Yeah I want Dracula (Hey)

Forever be young and wild

Dark and dangerous (Hey)

Yeah I love, I love, the tragically beautiful

I am a night owl

I've come alive

I'll make the sun go down

So I can see you out

Straight to the underground (Hey-ay-ay)

I like the broken

Imperfect rules

That's why you're wonderful

It's undeniable

I might be crazy but

If you were Dracula (Hey)

I'd be letting you take that bite

Hot and hazardous (Hey)

Like playing with dynamite

Yeah I want Dracula (Hey)

Forever be young and wild

Dark and dangerous (Hey)

Yeah I love, I love, I love the tragically beautiful

Only one kiss, only one

Only one kiss, you'd be k-k-k-k-killing me

Only one kiss, only one

Only one kiss, you'd be k-k-k-k-killing me

Hey!

Hey!

If you were Dracula (Hey)

I'd be letting you take that bite

Hot and hazardous (Hey)

Like playing with dynamite

Yeah I want Dracula (Hey)

Forever be young and wild

Dark and dangerous (Hey)

Yeah I love, I love, I love the tragically beautiful."

I finished my braid just as the song ended. I leaned back a little to see it better, just as someone spoke. "So you want me?" It was Kiernan, standing right behind me. He startled me so much that I fell back off the stool, but he caught me and set me back in the seat. His hands were warm where they touched the skin exposed by the cutouts of my dress. I looked at him in the mirror. He was dressed up as a vampire, wearing black clothes and a black cloak with a dark red lining. He had on red contacts and fake fangs. A little fake blood was on one side of his mouth. Damn, we were both dressing up as vampires.

He leaned forward so that his face was beside mine, then bent his head down and pressed his lips to the base of my neck. My breath hitched. He dragged his tongue slowly up the side of my neck. He dragged his tongue up farther and nibbled on my earlobe for a moment. "Your heart is racing." He told me, whispering into my ear.

"You startled me." I said weakly.

"Sure. That's what happened." He said slowly. Then he stood back up, winked at me in the mirror, and left the room. I just stared after him in the mirror. What the hell had just happened? And why was he acting like this again, like he had last Friday?

* * *

I was brought back to the present a few minutes later when Lydia entered the room, a towel wrapped around her body. She closed the door behind her and went over to the closet to start getting dressed in her costume. I picked up the bag with my makeup and got to work.

I put in dark red contacts, and fake fangs that actually looked real. The tips were pointed, though not so much that I'd like myself opening and closing my mouth. I didn't put on any blush, using my pale skin tone to my advantage. I did put on dark red lipstick, though, and some mascara and eyeliner. I put a little fake blood on the corner of my mouth, my chin and neck, my hands.

By the time I was done with my makeup, Lydia had her costume on and was almost done with her makeup. She was dressing up as a zombie child. She had her hair done in two braids tied with dirty looking white ribbons, and she wore a ripped and dirty white nightgown. She wore ripped tights under it. Her makeup was done to look like she had a wound on the side of her face. In her hands, she held a teddy bear with the head handing limply to one side. It looked pretty cool.

"Your costume is so beautiful!" Lydia exclaimed when I stood and turned. I blushed slightly.

"Yours is great, too. It looks really realistic." I told her.

"It's about five forty five now, so there will be at least some people here. What do you say we go downstairs and try to find Maddie?" Lydia asked me.

"Let's go." I said. We linked arms and made our way downstairs. Even though the party had started fifteen minutes ago, here was a lot of people there.

* * *

We found Maddie talking to Jay. Maddie had dressed as a pixie, and Jay as a werewolf. We all hung out for awhile, as more and more people arrived.

Once the party was actually going, I danced with Lydia, and with Maddie, for awhile. I was dancing with Maddie when Jay came over. "Mind if I cut in?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Maddie said, taking a step back. I let out a laugh.

"Maddie, he wants to dance with you." I told her.

"What?" She squeaked, glancing to Jay, who just smiled and held a hand out to her. She blushed, but took his hand and let him pull her close.

I'd only been watching them for a moment when Kiernan came over. "May I have this dance?" He asked in an olden timey accent, bowing and holding out a hand.

"Why, of course." I responded in the same accent, curtsying and accepting his hand. He laughed and pulled me close, setting his other hand on my waist while I set my other hand on his shoulder.

"So." He prompted.

"So." I replied. He laughed, but didn't say anything, just twirled me when the music came to a swell. I laughed, smiling as he pulled me back into his arms.

* * *

Twelve songs later, I was dancing with Jay again, while Kiernan and Lydia danced nearby.

" _So, Lee, you were dancing with him._ " Jay started.

" _Yeah, so?_ " I asked curiously.

" _You totally like him, Lee!_ " Jay exclaimed.

" _Totally, dude._ " I responded sarcastically.

" _Should've seen the way you were looking at him_." Jay told me. " _Like he was the only person in this entire house, in this entire town._ "

I changed the subject. " _And what about how you were looking at Maddie?_ " I asked.

He turned red. " _I was looking at her normal._ " He said.

" _Blush says otherwise._ " I told him. He turned even redder. " _She totally likes you, dude, so just go dance with her again. Just don't hurt my dance partner or I'll hurt your face._ "

" _I wouldn't hurt her, Lee._ " He said softly.

I just smiled at him and pushed him away. " _Go ask her out or something._ "

* * *

For the next hour, I escaped to the snack table. I grabbed a couple of chips and just watched people dancing, talking, laughing, just having fun in general.

I had just gotten a glass of punch when Kiernan appeared beside me. "I wouldn't drink that." He said. "Pretty sure multiple people have spiked it." I poured the punch back in the bowl and threw away the cup. "So, how's your second party in Spruce Creek, Ohio?"

"Pretty nice. It's one of the first parties I've been to, in general. Like, actual parties. I'm not counting parties at dance. Those are way different." I said.

"Yeah, they probably are." Kiernan agreed.

"I think I might head out soon." I said. I looked around, trying to find Maddie. "Or maybe not. He looks so happy, and so does she."

"Who?" Kiernan asked, scanning the crowd.

"Jay and Maddie. I told him I know he likes her, and that she really likes him, she told me. And then I told him to go dance with her and ask her out or something. They're so perfect together." I said.

"Well, if you don't want to interrupt them, you could go up to my room. Lydia locked herself in her room to go to sleep about half an hour ago." Kiernan offered.

"Damn it." I swore. "All my stuff is in her room."

"Actually, she made me put all your stuff in my room when she went to sleep, so you wouldn't have to bother her." Kiernan told me.

"That's good, then." I said. "What time is it?"

"It's about nine. Lydia may have said she's going to sleep, but she'll probably be up on her phone for at least another hour." Kiernan said. "And if you want, you could stay here for the night. The party will probably end around ten, at least, that's when I usually kick everyone out. Most of them know by now to leave by then."

"Yeah, I'll sleep on the couch or something, and Maddie can spend some time with Jay, and I won't interrupt them." I said.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch. I could bring up an air mattress for you, if you wanted." Kiernan offered.

"You'd be okay with me staying in your room?" I asked him.

"It doesn't really matter." He said with a shrug.

"I'll do that, then. Do you mind bringing it up now so I can blow it up and go to bed? I'd rather go to sleep early because I've got dance at eight in the morning." I asked.

"Yeah, head up, I'll go grab it." Kiernan told me. I nodded and went upstairs to the second floor.

* * *

I looked around Kiernan's room. It was pretty open. His bed lay in one corner, a dresser in another, a desk in the third, and a bookshelf in the fourth. A guitar sat on a stand next to the bookshelf. Not much else decorated the room. My bags sat by the dresser.

A moment later, Kiernan came up carrying a deflated air mattress and a thing to blow it up. He started to set it up in the middle of the room while I sat on the floor, digging through my bag.

"Damn it, how mindless can I be?" I swore, digging through my bags.

"What'd you forget?" Kiernan asked, pulling a sheet over the air mattress.

"Pajamas. See, I knew I was going to forget something." I muttered.

"You could borrow something of mine. Unless you want to sleep in that dress." Kiernan said. He tossed a couple pillows and a light comforter on the air mattress.

"Really? Thanks. You've been very kind this evening." I said. Seriously, he had been extremely kind, letting me sleep in his room and everything. Not that he wasn't nice or polite, but this was a lot.

"It's no problem." He said. He went over to the dresser and pulled out a light blue long sleeved button up shirt, which he handed to me. "This should be large enough."

I took the shirt and thanked him again. "I'll be downstairs until a little after ten. I'll try not to make too much noise when I come back up." Kiernan told me.

"Alright." I said. He went back down to the party, closing the door behind him.

* * *

 **Anywho, what do you think of the story so far?**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Review Replies:**

 **StellaAthena36 - I replied to the long review you left, but now that you're caught up, I can try to reply to some of your reviews on here, in the future! (Thank you for all the reviews!)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"Alright." I said. He went back down to the party, closing the door behind him.

* * *

I took out my makeup remover from my bag and washed off the makeup and fake blood. Then I took out the contacts and fangs. I took off my boots and gloves, but not the dress. I want going to get changed just yet. I fished through my bag for my phone and charger. I plugged the charger into the wall and sent Maddie a quick text saying I was just going to stay here for the night and not to worry about me.

I looked around the room again and spotted Kiernan's guitar. I picked it up and sat down on the air mattress. I checked the tune and began to play.

* * *

"Have you been playing that since I left?" A voice asked. I looked behind me to see Kiernan.

"I guess?" It came out as a question. He laughed.

"Well, it's been an hour. I kicked everyone out and I just finished cleaning up. Pretty much everybody was gone by ten, though, so that made my job easier." Kiernan said. I got up and put his guitar back on its stand. "Let me grab some clothes and I'll change downstairs while you change up here." He went over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, then went back downstairs.

Once he was gone, I pulled off my dress and put on the shirt he gave me. It was large, and reached the top of my thighs. I buttoned it up, except the top few buttons. A little bit of my bra could be seen at the top, but that was fine. I sat down on the air mattress and began to take out the Bobby pins, tossing them toward my bag one at a time.

I had just tossed the last Bobby pin away and was pulling out the tiny rubber band that held my braid together at the end when Kiernan sat across from me on the air mattress. The only pajamas he wore were sweatpants. I slowly undid my braid, being careful not to tangle my hair. It would be hell to brush in the morning if I managed to tangle it before I even undid the braid.

When I was finished, Kiernan spoke. "So, are you tired? Because I'm not, but if you are, I'll go downstairs or be quiet."

"I'm not really tired." I said with a shrug. "You are free to make as much noise as you'd like, at risk of consequence from the sleeping dragon called Lydia." He cracked a grin at that.

"She's out cold. I could hear her snoring through the door, and she's a heavy sleeper." Kiernan told me.

"Well, I guess you're free to do as you wish, then." I told Kiernan.

"Turn around." He told me. I gave him a questioning look. "Just do it." I turned around and I felt him move up behind me, so that we both sat at the center of the air mattress. I felt his hands in my hair.

"What are you doing?" I asked him curiously.

"Your hair." He told me.

"Let me clarify. Why?" I asked.

"Lydia always used to have me do her hair, before she could. I'd never tell her this, and don't you go tell her, either, but I kind of enjoyed it. I've always loved doing stuff like that for her." He told me.

"I won't tell. But I think that's really sweet of you." I told him. He snorted.

"Yeah, well, let's keep the sweet side hidden. I've got a reputation to uphold." Kiernan said.

"Even within your own family?" I asked.

"Especially within my own family." Kiernan said. I felt him run his hand through my hair, taking down whatever he just put it up into. He started to move my hair to one side.

"So, what are you-" I started to ask, but stopped when his lips met my neck. My heartbeat picked up as he pressed his lips to my neck in another spot. And another. And another. And then he started to suck lightly on my neck, no doubt leaving marks. I was breathing hard now.

Then his lips trailed up to my jaw. He brought up a hand and lightly tugged my chin so that my head was turned to the side. He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. I didn't know what I was doing or why, but I kissed him back. His lips pressed against mine harder, and he licked my lips. I parted my lips and his tongue entered my mouth. He pulled me around to face him and pulled me half into his lap.

After a few minutes, we broke apart and he rested his forehead against mine. His eyes were closed, but he opened them and looked into my eyes as he spoke, breathing heavy. "You look goddamn sexy in my shirt." Then he kissed me again.

* * *

I woke in the middle of the night to a rumble of thunder and the steady patter of rain on a roof. For a moment I didn't realize where I was, but then I remembered it all. Every. Single. Damn. Moment.

I was feeling a very wide mix of emotions, lying there naked under the comforter on the air mattress, next to Kiernan. I was slightly horrified at what we'd done, for one. Another part of me felt... Joy? And a whole range of other emotions I couldn't decipher. A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. Was I causing the storm? I hoped not. Jay would probably kill me if I was. But that wasn't my biggest concern at the moment.

I moved off of the air mattress and found my undergarments, throwing them on. I grabbed the nearest article of clothing, which happened to be the shirt Kiernan had lent me. I didn't bother to button it up. I went over to my bags and just grabbed the essentials. My dance bag, phone, charger, boots, helmet. I left the bag of clothing and all of my costume stuff. I slipped the boots on and then put the helmet on, giving me less to carry. I threw my phone, charger, and keys in with my dance stuff and put the drawstring bag on my back.

I went over to the window and opened it, pulling it inwards. Some rain got inside, but I didn't worry about that. I just climbed out the window and into the large oak, closing the window quietly behind me. I climbed very careful through the wet tree to my window, and pushed it open. It had a lock, but I'd cracked it open the other day, and though I'd closed it, I hadn't locked it. I went into my room and closed the window behind me. I moved to the center of my room, threw my bag off to the side by my armoire, and sank to my knees, staring at the floor.

And that is where I stayed for the next couple hours, as the sky started to brighten, though the rain didn't lessen. I only started moving when my alarm went off. I knew if I didn't, I'd be late to dance. I didn't want to be late for practice for dance team, especially not only two weeks in.

I took a shower, but I couldn't scrub away the feeling of last night.

* * *

When I went back up to my room, against my better judgement, I put Kiernan's shirt on my bed. Then I dressed in jeans, a sports bra, a t-shirt, and my leather jacket. I threw on my boots, and grabbed my helmet. I took my keys from my dance bag and put them in my pocket. I checked my phone. Only one text message. From Maddie, last night. It was her saying she'd see me at dance. There were a lot of missed calls, though, all Jay. And a from the middle of the night, probably from when the storm started. It must've been me.

I went downstairs to the front door, stopping at the bathroom to grab a ton of Bobby pins. When I did get to the front door, I willed the metal to reform. A few moments later, I held a key to the house. It was black, the color of the Bobby pins. I added it into the ring my motorcycle keys were on. Then I went out the front door and locked it behind me. I went to my motorcycle, which was unfortunately subjected to the rain, and started it up. And then I drove to dance.

I got to the studio really early. Practice started at eight, it was seven. They were open, of course, they opened as early as six for anyone to come and practice, but no one other than the administrative staff were ever there before seven thirty. And the administrative staff had to go in at six to open the studio.

I said a quick hi to the lady at the desk, who look surprised to see me there so early, and went into the girl's locker room. I went over to my locker and changed into the dance wear I had brought in my dance bag. I changed into a loose tank top and my dance leggings, a pair that were a little longer than normal, covering the arches of my feet, and had holes for my heels. I slipped on my toe undies, printed with a camouflage design, and put my helmet, bag, keys, and shoes in my locker. I checked my phone again. Another missed call from Jay, as well as a multiple texts and a call from Kiernan. The texts asked where I was and why I had left. I ignored them, set my phone to silent, and put it in my locker. I went out into the studio.

I stretched for the next fifteen minutes. We used the first five to ten minutes of each of my classes to stretch, but most girls stretched a little beforehand.

After I stretched, I started to work on my routine. It didn't matter how hard I tried, I wasn't doing it right. I was off. I wobbled when I should have stood straight, my movements were too sharp when they were meant to flow, and I completely screwed up my transitions.

I kept working at it when more dancers entered the studio to get extra time in before practice started. At one point, I thought I saw Maddie in the lobby, but I wasn't sure. The blinds on the large window were half open, so I could've been mistaken. But sure enough, she came in a couple minutes later. She came over to me and I started over on our routine, her joining me.

"So you stayed over Lydia's after the party?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah." I said, concentrating on not wobbling. I was a mess today.

"Jay was worried about you." Maddie told me.

"And what were you doing with my brother in the middle of the night?" I asked teasingly. She blushed slightly.

"Okay, nothing happened. His ride flaked on him, so I let him stay over my place. The air mattress was already set up for you, so I just let him have it." Maddie explained. I completely missed my cue. "Lyric?"

"Please don't mention air mattresses around me right now. Or ever again." I said. She gave me a questioning look, but I didn't say anything else.

Class soon started, and I wasn't as off as I thought, really only enough for me to notice and for Maddie to notice, but that still wasn't a good thing. I felt bad when I didn't do my absolute best, especially when I was working with others.

* * *

After class, I went into the locker room and quickly changed. A quick phone check told me I had seven more missed calls from Kiernan, a call from Lydia, and three calls from Jay; as well as many texts from Kiernan, a couple from Lydia, and about a million from Jay. I didn't message any of them back. I kind of wanted to just go home and be alone.

When I went out into the lobby, Maddie behind me, I was surprised, to say the least. Jay, Lydia, and Kiernan were all sitting in a couple of the chairs placed out in the lobby. I stopped and looked accusingly at Maddie, who just replied with "I told you, your brother was worried."

I turned back to my brother. He stood and came up to me. "Where the hell were you, Lyric?" He asked. He was using my full name. He was not happy.

"I came to dance early." I said with a shrug. "I've been here since seven."

"And before that? I called you a million times last night." Jay said.

"I texted Maddie that I was staying the night. She texted me back saying she'd see me at dance in the morning." I said wearily.

" _You know that's not what I meant._ " Jay said, voice low. " _What happened last night? What happened to you to cause this storm? Talk to me, Lee._ " He pleaded. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside. It just made Jay more desperate to know, to help. But it wasn't anything he could help with.

"If you want to know, just ask him." I said, pointing at Kiernan. "I don't know what he'll tell you, but I'm leaving." I turned and walked out of the studio, all four of them staring after me. I out on my helmet and started my bike, then drove the opposite direction of home. I wasn't actually going anywhere else, I just didn't want them with any guesses at where I was. After driving a few blocks, I drove back home.

* * *

My bike had a garage button on it. I hadn't put it in the garage the previous day because I wouldn't have been able to get back into the garage to get it out again until mom got back. After I parked my bike in the garage, I closed the door and went unlocked the door into the house from the garage. It, like the front door, let out into a little foyer where we kept the coat rack and shoe rack. I took off my wet boots and hundreds my helmet on a wooden peg on the coat rack on the wall. Then I went upstairs to my bedroom.

When I got to my bedroom, I took my phone and keys out of my dance bag and tossed it by the armoire. I set my keys on my end table, and checked my phone. More missed calls and texts from my brother and my friends. I looked through the texts. It was all them asking where I went and what had happened. Except Kiernan, because he knew damn well what happened. He was just asking if we could please talk about it. It was also apparent that he hadn't told them anything, because they were asking what had happened.

I plugged in my phone and set it on my end table, then I hung my leather jacket in my armoire. I stripped off my wet t-shirt and jeans and threw them in the hamper. I glanced at my bed and saw Kiernan's shirt. Against my better judgement, again, I put it on. I didn't button it or anything, just wrapped it around myself and sat there on my bed, staring at the wall.

* * *

Sometime later, I don't know when, I moved to lay down and stare at the ceiling. Everything was catching up with me. I was able to hide my emotions in front of others, something I had always been adept at, but now that I was alone, I couldn't hold back the tears or all the random emotion. Eventually, I fell asleep.

When I woke up and checked my phone, it was evening, just after six o'clock. I looked through my messages and missed calls. More of the same. Jay and Maddie and Lydia desperate to know what happened, Kiernan wanting to talk.

At that moment, I made a decision. I needed to be away from everyone for the moment, so I decided to go drive out to where Mom was staying at her brother's farm. It was about a two hour drive. I packed a backpack with two outfits, Kiernan's shirt, a hairbrush, and my phone charger. I changed into a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and my leather jacket. I braided my hair so that it'd stay up under my helmet, and went down to the garage. I unpacked the things from the backpack into the two side compartments on my bike, and rolled up the bag and put it in as well. I kept my phone in an inside pocket of my jacket. I knew the address, Mom had told us, so I put it into my GPS and set off.

* * *

 **And there is the eighth chapter!**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

At that moment, I made a decision. I needed to be away from everyone for the moment, so I decided to go drive out to where Mom was staying at her brother's farm. It was about a two hour drive. I packed a backpack with two outfits, Kiernan's shirt, a hairbrush, and my phone charger. I changed into a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and my leather jacket. I braided my hair so that it'd stay up under my helmet, and went down to the garage. I unpacked the things from the backpack into the two side compartments on my bike, and rolled up the bag and put it in as well. I kept my phone in an inside pocket of my jacket. I knew the address, Mom had told us, so I put it into my GPS and set off.

* * *

Two hours of driving through the pouring rain that followed me later, I found the winding dirt road that led to the farm, Blackmeadow Range. When I finally reached the farm house, I parked under the shelter of a large weeping willow. I could see Mom's car and another car nearby. The farmhouse wasn't the only building, either. There was a red barn a little ways away, and a silo. There were also stables. Mom's brother owned the place, including a lot of the surrounding land. A couple fields held crops, but there was also a lot of open space, as well as forest and trails. There was an apple orchard, too. The place was beautiful.

I took out my backpack and unrolled it, shoving everything inside. I barely noticed the tears that dropped alongside the rain from my clothes. My hair wasn't wet, it had all been under the helmet. Once everything was in the bag and I zipped it up, I ran to the porch of the farm house. I rang the bell and waited.

"Hello?" A little girl's voice said as the door opened. A girl that looked to be seven was standing behind the screen door.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" I asked her.

"I'm not apposed to talk to strangers." She said.

"You're Liam's daughter, right?" I asked. She nodded. "Then I'm not a stranger. I'm your cousin. Could you go get your Aunt Whitney for me? She's my mom."

The girl ran off, yelling "Aunt Whitney!" She soon came back to the door, leading my mom by the hand. When Mom saw me with my bag slung over my arm, my helmet under the other, and tears running down my face, her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

"Lyric?" She asked, opening the screen door and letting me in. I gave her a one armed hug, careful not to hit her with my helmet.

"Hey, mom." I said.

My mom looked to the girl. "Why don't you go play for now, Orianne?" The little girl ran out of the kitchen. "Lyric, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to get away, mom. They all keep asking questions I really don't want to answer." I said, tears streaming even faster down my face.

"Oh, baby..." Mom said. "Why don't we get you a hot shower. You must've been driving in the pouring rain the entire two hours. Follow me." She took my bag and helmet and led me out of the kitchen and through a living room, to a door that led to a small hallway with a sitting room to one side and stairs to the other. We got odd looks from a couple people, except Orianne, who waved. We went up the stairs and mom showed me to a bathroom with a shower.

"Just come down once you're showered, and we can talk, okay? I'll see where we can have you sleep for the night. And I'll call Jay-" Mom told me, handing me my bag.

"Please don't call Jay." I said quietly. She only nodded and went back downstairs, bringing my helmet with her. She'd probably put it somewhere near the door.

I locked the bathroom door and set down my bag. I started the shower and let it warm. I was cold, to say the least. But driving two hours in a storm that's following you because you're creating it is something that will make a person cold.

* * *

After I showered and dried off as much as I could, I out on a pair of boy shorts underwear and a sports bra. I took Kiernan's shirt from my bag and put it on, buttoning it up to just above my bra. That left a couple buttons undone. The sleeves hung past my wrists, and I gripped the ends. I stared at myself in the mirror. I was a complete mess.

There was a knock on the door. "One minute." I called. I quickly brushed out my hair and dried it as much as I could with the towel. I put the towel in a hamper, my hairbrush in my bag. I slung it over my shoulder, grabbed my boots, and unlocked the door, pulling it open. The boy who stood there looked very confused upon seeing me.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Lyric Tucker." I said, ducking under his arm and going down the stairs. He still looked a little confused, but went in the bathroom and closed the door. When I got to the little hallway at the bottom of the stairs, I hesitated. I wanted to talk to my mom, but I also didn't, and there were other people in the living room. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

My mom was sitting on a couch, and she gestured for me to sit next to her. A man sat in a reclining chair watching the TV, a woman over at the dining table reading a book, and Orianne was playing with little matchbox cars on the carpeted floor. I went and sat next to my mom, setting my bag on the floor in front of the couch. My mom took my boots and set them in the kitchen before seating herself next to me again.

"So this your daughter?" The man asked.

"Yes," Mom said, "this is Lyric."

"Well, hello, Lyric. I'm your mother's brother Liam. That over there is my wife, Mika. That's my daughter, Orianne. And my son Ben is upstairs in his room with his friend. His friend's staying over for the next couple days while his parents are out of town." The man told me. So the boy I met upstairs was either my cousin or my cousin's friend.

I pulled my phone out of my bag. More texts and missed calls. I sighed and started to look through the text messages first. Jay kept asking where I was, if I was okay. Lydia and Maddie were asking what had happened and if I was okay. And Kiernan was asking if I was okay. I noticed that I had a voicemail. I put my phone to my ear and listened to it.

"Lyric, please, stop hiding." It was from Kiernan. His voice sounded desperate. "We're all so worried about you. None of us can find you, and your brother is seriously freaking out." He didn't speak for a few moments.

"I'm sorry, Lyric. I'm sorry that I upset you." He said quietly. Tears started streaming down my face, and Mom looked at me in concern. "I didn't tell them, even though you told them to ask me, I figured you should decide how much they know. It's your brother, after all, and I'm not as close to Lydia as you are your brother. But please Lyric, we need to talk about this. I'm so sorry, I really am, but I really think we do need to talk." At that point, I dropped my phone, accidentally hitting the speaker button in the process. My phone landed in my lap, and everyone in the room could hear the last thing he said before he ended the voicemail.

"Please come home." It wasn't what he said, it was the way he said it. His voice sounded broken and desperate, and it sounded like he may have been crying, too. I started crying even harder, and Mom held me, picking up my phone and turning it off, setting it in my bag.

"That was Kiernan?" Mom asked. I nodded. "And whatever happened has something to do with him?" I nodded again.

A few minutes later, she asked "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head violently. "Alright, baby." She hadn't called me that in years. She used to call me baby whenever I got hurt, or I was crying after a nightmare.

After crying for who knows how long, I sat up straight and wiped away the last of the tears. "Do you feel a little better now?" Mom asked me.

"A little." I said. My voice was hoarse from crying.

"Why don't we go upstairs and talk?" Mom asked. I nodded and she grabbed my bag. "I'll see you guys in the morning." She told her brother and his family.

"Night!" Orianne called.

"Good night, Orianne." Mom said warmly.

* * *

We went back upstairs and into a room. By the looks of it, it was a spare room. There was a small bed in the center of the back wall, a dresser to one side, an acoustic guitar on a stand in the corner, and a window looking out over the long dirt road that led to the farm.

Mom set down my bag and laid down next to me against the pillows. "It's his shirt." She said. It was a statement, not a question. I didn't look at her. "Oh, baby." She put an arm around me and I laid my head on her shoulder.

"Talk to me, Lyric. Why does this upset you so much? Don't you like him?" Mom asked.

"I... I don't know. Jay said he thought I did last night when I was dancing with him. I denied it, of course, but... And then he was just being so nice. Offered to get me an air mattress, let me stay in his room so no one bothered me after I left the party, gave me a shirt to wear when I forgot my pajamas." I said. I pulled at a button on the shirt and dropped it. My voice dropped to a whisper. "We were just talking, he asked if I was going to try and sleep so he wouldn't make much noise if I was going to go to sleep. I told him I wasn't very tired, and then he started to do my hair. We were only talking." I looked up at mom, desperately wanting her to believe me.

"Lyric, I trust you, baby." She told me. I looked back down at the shirt and continued.

"He took down my hair after he did it, and he put it to the side. I started to ask what he was doing this time," I said, playing with a button on the shirt, "when he kissed my neck. He kissed my neck a couple more times, and then he turned my head and kissed me. And... And I kissed him back. He turned me to face him and pulled me into his lap. He told me I looked goddamn sexy in his shirt, and then he kissed me again."

"And you slept with him." Mom said. A tear rolled down my cheek.

"I woke up in the middle of the night. Threw on clothes, grabbed my dance bag, keys, phone, helmet, and went out the window." I said.

"Window?" Mom asked.

"I never locked my window after I opened it the other door. I went out Kiernan's window, climbed across the oak, and went in my window. I ended sitting on the floor and just kinda staring until my alarm went off. I wasn't going to miss dance, so I got ready, and went in an hour early. Maddie told them when she saw me, so when dance ended, they were in the lobby. I kinda hightailed it outta there and back home. I went up to my room and fell asleep for awhile, and then I came here." I explained.

"Lyric, I have a question." Mom said.

"Shoot." I told her.

"Are you upset that you slept with Kiernan? Or are you afraid of your feelings for him?" She asked. I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. Mom sat up next to me. I wouldn't look at her. "That's what I thought." I buried my face in my knees.

"Lyric, baby, it's okay to feel the way you do. It's okay to like him. Hell, it's okay to love him. You don't need to be afraid of that. Love is a wonderful thing. But you shouldn't lock away all your feelings and hope they go away. They won't." She told me.

"I can't love." I said.

"Yes, you can, Lyric." She told me gently. I lifted my head and looked at her.

"No, you don't get it. I can't love. How can I? How can I love when love can break someone so completely that they're nothing but a bitter shell full of hate that despises the world around them?" I asked.

"Lyric, you are not your father, and you never will be." She told me.

"That's not what I'm afraid of. I know I don't have it in me to ever be like that." I said.

"Then what are you afraid of?" She asked.

"Mom, I'm afraid of _doing_ that to someone." I said, a tear rolling down my face.

"Oh, Lyric, you are not your mother, either. You are your own person, and if I do say so myself, you are much different than either of them ever were." Mom told me. "And I know you. You would never just leave someone like that with no explanation." She hugged me and I hugged her back.

"Auntie! There's more people for you at the door!" Orianne called up the stairs. I got up and looked out the window. Jay's car sat in the driveway. I couldn't tell if he had brought anyone because I couldn't see onto the porch.

"Mom, you called him?" I asked. I felt betrayed. I had told her not to. She got up and looked out the window. She had a very confused look on her face.

"I swear to the gods that I did not call your brother. But I better go downstairs and see him." She said. The feeling of betrayal went away. She wouldn't lie to me about something like that. I followed her downstairs, but stayed in the living room when she went in the kitchen. Orianne was back to her cars, Mika was looking curiously into the kitchen, and Liam was looking out the window at Jay's car.

"Jay, what are you doing here?" I heard Mom ask.

"We looked all over town, everywhere. And her bike was gone, too. The only other logical choice was here." Jay answered.

"Well, take off your shoes, all of you, and leave them by the door." Mom said.

"Dammit." I swore. Jay wasn't alone.

"That's a bad word." Orianne told me accusingly.

"Sorry." I said, sitting down beside her. Moments later, Mom entered the living room, Jay and my friends following her. He brought all three of them.

Noting my discomfort, Liam stood and spoke. "I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Liam Tucker, owner of this fine farm. That's my wife Mika, my daughter Orianne, and my son Ben is upstairs with his friend Kyle, who happens to be staying for a couple of days. Nice to see you again, Jay, I haven't seen you in a couple years. And the rest of you are?"

"I'm Maddie Landon, and they're Lydia and Kiernan Ashton." Maddie said quickly.

At that moment, Jay seemed to finally realize what I was wearing. I could tell something clicked in his mind. "Oh. My. _God._ " He said.

"Did you just say 'God' in another language?" Maddie asked. Jay didn't answer. He was staring at me.

" _You... You…_ " His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"Jay, if I wanted to talk, I would've talked at the studio. Hell, I would've picked up the phone the moment I saw all those missed calls from the middle of the night." I said.

" _Lee, we were worried sick about you. Do you know how worried I was that you could've gotten into an accident and gotten seriously hurt? Not to mention how upset you are in the first place?_ " Jay asked.

I stood up. "I really don't want to talk, Jay." I turned and walked out of the room, into the little hallway. I went upstairs and towards the room I had been in previously. Jay followed and caught up to me at the top of the stairs, grabbing my wrist.

" _Lee, you can't just run away from your problems. Talk to me. Please._ " Jay said.

" _I can't do this right now, okay? I just had a nice long heart to heart with Mom and I really need some alone time._ " I told Jay.

" _Lyric, we came all this way just to make sure that you were okay. The least you can do is talk to us, tell us what's going on!_ " Jay shouted.

" _Like I said before, if you want to know so bad, go ask Kiernan! I am not in the mood to talk!_ " I shouted back.

" _He won't say a thing, Lyric! He said it's not his place, and you have to tell us if we want to know!_ " Jay yelled. Our voices were loud enough that everyone in the house could probably hear us. Though none of them could speak Ancient Greek, thank god.

" _You want to know so bad?_ " I screamed. " _Fine! I slept with Kiernan last night after the party and I've been hiding because I can't deal with it! I can't deal with these feelings and I'm afraid! You want to know what I'm afraid of, Jay? I'm afraid of turning into my mother, so damn afraid of hurting the people I love! My own parents were so damn screwed over by love that I'm afraid of it! I'm afraid, Jay!_ "

I started crying. A door opened down the hall, and someone came out, but my back was to them. "What's with all the yelling?" A voice asked. Jay and I both ignored the guy.

" _Lee, you shouldn't be afraid. You shouldn't have had to deal with the aftermath of what happened to your parents, and you shouldn't have to be afraid the way you are. You aren't either of them, and that's not going to happen to you. You are a completely different person than that._ " Jay told me softly.

" _Don't tell them, Jay. They can guess, they might even have already figured it out, probably, but just don't tell them, okay?_ " I asked. " _And don't send anyone up here to talk. I don't want to talk._ "

" _Alright. I won't. I can't promise they won't come up here on their own, though._ " Jay said.

"Thank you." I said quietly. I went into the bedroom and locked the doors behind me. I laid down on the bed, and closed my eyes, listening to the patter of rain against the window.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine is up!**

 **So, who knows where I got some of the names for Lyric's family members from? It is absolutely one of my most favorite novels. Here's a hint: I actually got the names for Kiernan (he's not a family member, but I really liked that name for a main-ish character), Orianne, and Mika from the same novel.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	11. Chapter 10

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 **StellaAthena36 - Jay bringing everyone might not have been the best thing he could have done, but they were all worried about her. As for the family just kinda standing there, well, she only just met her mom's family just ow. It's gotta be a little awkward.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"Thank you." I said quietly. I went into the bedroom and locked the doors behind me. I laid down on the bed, and closed my eyes, listening to the patter of rain against the window.

* * *

I woke sometime around dawn. I unlocked the bedroom door and went downstairs. No one seemed to be up, which was good. When I went through the living room to get to the kitchen, I saw Kiernan was asleep on the couch. No one else was in the living room, so he must've been out of luck for a place to sleep. Jay was likely with Ben and his friend, and Maddie and Lydia were probably with Mom or Orianne.

I went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboard for something to eat. I ended up grabbing a granola bar. After I ate it, I used the bathroom, the door to which was in the kitchen. Then I went upstairs using a staircase off the side of the kitchen, which I hadn't noticed before.

When I got back to the bedroom, Kiernan was sitting on the bed. He must not have been asleep, then, when I went downstairs. "Lyric, we need to talk." He said.

"I really don't want to talk. Please leave." I told him. He didn't move. I sighed and sat in the middle of the floor. I leaned over and grabbed my bag, pulling my phone out. I started to scroll through my social media, ignoring Kiernan. He moved to sit beside me. I got up and sat in the bed. He got up against and sat behind me, but I didn't acknowledge him.

"Lyric, please." Kiernan said. I didn't say anything. I could feel him playing with the ends of my hair. "Please talk to me."

When I continued to ignore him, he sighed, and left the room. I got up and locked the door behind him. I tossed my phone on my bag, and laid down. I knew I shouldn't be afraid of my feelings, but that didn't mean I wasn't. Eventually, I fell asleep again.

* * *

In a half asleep state sometime later, I heard Jay speak. "I've got her bag, you carry her to the car." I felt someone's arms slide around me, and then they were carrying me bridal style, my head resting between their shoulder and neck. "You've got her?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, I've got her." Kiernan replied. I felt him carry me downstairs, and outside, though no rain from the ongoing storm seemed to hit me. Someone must've been holding an umbrella. I felt him place me in a car, and then my feet were in someone's lap. I felt him lift my head so that he could get into the car, and then my head was in his lap. I soon fell asleep again.

* * *

When I woke up, this time, I was in my bed. When I checked my phone, I saw that it was afternoon. Ugh. I literally spent most of my weekend asleep. I'd have to go back to school tomorrow like nothing happened, which, to basically everyone at school, nothing had happened.

I got up from my bed and went downstairs to have a bowl of cereal. The house seemed empty.

After eating, I went back upstairs and changed into my painting clothes. I brought downstairs a bunch of paints and supplies, and got back to work on the guest room I had been working on, continuing to make it look like a grassy meadow at nighttime.

Eventually, around ten, I cleaned up and took a shower. After which I put Kiernan's shirt back on, not bothering to put anything else on, and laid down and went to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Monday, I woke to my alarm and got ready for school as normal.

I didn't go to into the classroom until just before the bell rang. I was avoiding Kiernan, and I felt bad about it, but I really didn't think I could deal with talking to him without breaking down or freaking out.

When I entered the classroom, there were two people I'd never seen before sitting at the table I usually sat at, so I just pulled up a chair and sat at the side, and said "Seems like all the new kids sit here." The girl gave me a quizzical look. The boy asked what I meant. "I sat here on my first day two weeks ago."

"Oh, if we're in your seat, we can move." The boy said quickly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not Chelsey." I said.

"Who?" The boy asked.

"Chelsey Dare, total bitch queen. I sat here on my first day, and she tried to get him to make me move. But he didn't want to upset his sister." I said, gesturing to Kiernan. Then I gestured to Jay. "That's my brother. Him, Kiernan, Lydia, and I are all good friends now. And Maddie, but she's not in this class."

"Anyways, I'm Lyric Tucker. What are your names?" I asked. The boy was about to say something, when the teacher started to speak.

"Class, we seem to be getting a lot of new students this year. We've got another two new students. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" The teacher announced.

Both the boy and the girl stood. "I'm Cypress Creek." The boy said.

The girl made some gestures with her hands, and I recognized it as ASL.

Nikita Beckett.

"This is Nikita Beckett." Cypress said.

"What? Are you mute or something?" Chelsey mocked from the back of the room.

The girl looked angry at that, and Cypress spoke, though not without a hint of anger in his voice. "Nikita is mute." They sat back down.

I found out that I had them both in all of my classes. I introduced them to Lydia at study, and to Maddie at lunch when they sat with us. Kiernan and Jay stayed over at their table. I also found that I had them in English and Music. So I literally had them in all of my classes. But that was a good thing. Most of these people at this school would not be nice to them, especially because Nikita was mute.

* * *

After I got home, I put on my paint clothes and spent the rest of the day painting the guest room. By the time I had to clean up for the day, I still wasn't quite done with the room. I had about two and a half walls left. Maybe another three or so days of painting, if I were to keep on working for so long each day like this.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon, Kiernan caught up to me in the hall after lunch. I usually waited until the last minute to go to English, so there was no one in the halls as he stopped me.

"Lyric." He said. I kept walking. He set a hand on my arm, and I stopped walking, but didn't say anything. "Lyric, why are you avoiding me?"

I faintly realized the storming had still not stopped, and that it was still raining outside the window in the hall. I didn't answer Kiernan.

"Lyric?" He asked.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I pulled away and went to English, leaving him standing there. He came into English ten minutes after me, and apologized to the teacher, who only told him not to let it happen again.

Kiernan again tried to talk to me on Tuesday, but after art, and then again on Wednesday, but after gym. I did manage to avoid him on Thursday. I also finished with the first guest room. I had painted our guest room of our old house in much the same fashion, with a nighttime nature scene, so I was able to find the large, dark green rugs that had covered the floor of the old guest room. They covered the space nicely, the room was about the same size. I also put dark green sheets and bedding on the bed. There. The room was perfect.

* * *

On Friday, during lunch, Kiernan came over to sit with us. I got up from my seat and left the cafeteria. Lydia and Maddie knew I was avoiding him, though I'm not sure if they knew why, and Cypress and Nikita didn't seem to be in the cafeteria.

I kind of just wandered the halls aimlessly. Maybe five minutes later, Kiernan found me. I tried to pass by him, but he stepped in front of me and blocked the way. I just stood there, inches away from him, not moving.

"Lyric, why won't you talk to me?" He asked. He sounded desperate.

"I just- I can't." I told him. I tried to step past him, but he didn't let me. I had been really close to him before, but now I was standing even closer.

"Lyric, please." Kiernan said.

"I'm sorry. It's- It's not your fault. I just- can't- I need to deal with some things on my own right now." I said. " _I'm just so afraid._ "

" _Why?_ " Kiernan asked. I looked up at him, shocked. The Earth shook as I slapped him across the face. Then I pushed past him and left the school, walking quickly, practically running.

He knew Ancient Greek. And he hadn't told me. Oh god. All of those conversations, he'd been in the vicinity, he'd heard so many conversations I'd had with my brother. He knew everything I'd said to my brother about him.

I was out on the sidewalk in front of the school when I bumped into someone. I stumbled back, and looked up at the man. He was tall, with black irises and black hair. He had a lot of muscles, and looked like he could crush a car. He kind of looked like he was on steroids.

"Sorry." I said, stepping out of the way.

"No problem, Lyric." The man said.

"How do you know my name?" I asked warily.

"I know many things, dear." He said. I took another step back.

"Lyric?" I heard Cypress call. I turned around to see him and Nikita exiting the building and coming toward me. When they reached me, and saw the face of the man, they both stopped, horrified expressions on their faces. "How?" Cypress demanded.

The man ignored him, instead fixing his cold gaze on Nikita. "How are you, my wife?" He asked. She started to tremble, slightly, in fear. Cypress set a hand on her arm, trying to calm her. The man laughed. "Still hanging around with him? What was your dear mother's description of him? Some boy toy?" She began to tremble even harder.

At this point, I stepped in front of them. They were my friends, and this man could go and leave them the hell alone. "Look, I don't know who you are, bastard, but you need to leave them the hell alone. I don't know what kind of trouble you have with them, but I don't care. Get the hell away from here." I told him angrily. It was already raining, as the storm had been going since last Friday night, but thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

He just laughed. "A little bit of advice for you, Lyric. Watch how you compose yourself, and how you speak to your superiors." He said.

"I don't know what you're going on about, but you are not my superior, so just leave us the hell alone." I told him.

"Oh, but as your future husband, I am of course your superior." He told me. I stepped back in surprise at his words. What the hell was wrong with him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nikita screamed. I barely even registered that she was using her voice. "Two wives? Such an achievement! You've already ruined my life, stay out of hers!"

"Ah, but she's like you, dear Nikita." He said. Nikita recoiled. "And with her, I might do what I could not with you."

"But I killed you. I defeated you and sent you back to hell." Nikita whispered.

"I am an immortal. I cannot be killed. As for sending me back to my pit, the majority of my essence is, in fact, there. But the smallest sliver of me has been free for a long time, and has kept away from the events, in the case that I was temporarily defeated." He said mockingly. "As a matter of fact, Lyric here is about your age. I've been working on her just as long. Now, rather than what your mother willingly did, I had to plant hate in her father, but it all has worked out so far. She still wake crying from the nightmares that are always memories. And her current dilemma, caused by her perception of her parents..."

"I don't know who the hell you are, or what the hell is going on, but the way my father acted was your fault?" I asked angrily. He had a smirk on his face. "I should kill you here and now, bastard! Because if you, I had to be taken away by Child Protective Services! I had to go through a year, bouncing around so many horrible foster homes! I had to be untrustful to my adopted family for awhile before I could actually believe that they cared about me." Tears started rolling down my face as the Earth shook slightly. It was still raining, but heavier. Good thing my bike was parked under a willow tree.

A sudden realization hit me. "It's your fault I'm so afraid of things with Kiernan! Your fault I can't even look at him without wanting to break down crying or have a huge panic attack!" I screamed. Just as soon as it came the anger left me. I sank down to my knees on the pavement, crying.

The man looked disdainfully at me, once, before speaking to Cypress and Nikita again. "I'll collect her before the Winter Solstice. Her seventeenth birthday has already passed, a few weeks ago, but her power is manifested differently. Just look around at this storm. Just don't try to interfere this time, boy. And Nikita, dear, I'll be back for you, too. And know, boy, that it won't be so easy this time to get into my realm." He turned around and walked off.

Cypress and Nikita knelt next to me. She started signing to him. We need to get her to Camp. Chiron needs to know about this.

"What's camp?" I asked, looking up at her. She looked at me in surprise. "Oh, I started learning ASL in middle school, continued in high school. I'm quite well off at it now."

"Camp is a safe place for people like us. Look closely at my eyes." Nikita told me. With a closer look, I realized he eyes weren't gray, but matched the sky and the weather, and I could see the individual rain drops falling. "I can't explain more now, it's too dangerous. But you have to come with us."

"I can't just leave Jay. Or my friends. Or Kiernan. I can't. I have to talk to him now. I've been so afraid to because of how my father turned out after my mother left him with a newborn baby, but if that hatred was placed there, it makes me a little less afraid of my feelings." I muttered to myself.

"Does anyone you might know have traits that seem unnatural? Or unusual?" Cypress asked.

"I don't know. Jay's good with locks and getting anywhere, really, but other than that, it's just normal stuff for the people I know." I said. They were confusing me, but I was going with it. I was also having a mini panic attack.

Moments later, Jay was beside me on the ground. " _Lee, what happened? Why was the earth shaking? The week long 'bizarre' storm is one thing, but earthquakes?_ " Jay asked.

"This is exactly the kind of thing we're looking for. He's going to need to come, too." Cypress said. "Do you know anyone else who can speak Ancient Greek?"

"No one-" Jay started, but I cut him off.

"Kiernan can." I said. Jay's eyes widened.

"The earthquakes?" He guessed.

"The first one." I replied.

"Then what was the other?" Jay asked quietly.

"I don't know. I don't know who the hell that guy was." I said.

"It's best you don't know, until we get to camp. Like she said, it's too dangerous for you to know just yet." Cypress said.

"Go get Kiernan. Go home, pack weekend bags. We'll meet you at your houses. Our temporary home is on the same road. It's really important that we get you three to camp." Nikita said.

* * *

 **Ooh, can they really be demigods? And what's that about Lyric being like Nikita, huh? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"Go get Kiernan. Go home, pack weekend bags. We'll meet you at your houses. Our temporary home is on the same road. It's really important that we get you three to camp." Nikita said.

* * *

"Wait, you can talk?" Jay asked.

"Jay, not the time. We need to go with them. They said their camp is a safe place for people like me. And they think you and Kiernan are the same, too. They think you have some sort of power or whatever." I told Jay. His mouth was wide open.

"You told them about your powers?" Jay asked.

"I didn't have to. They knew already. Well, that man somehow knew and he said it. And Nikita has kind of similar ones. Look at her eyes." I told him. When he looked closely, his mouth dropped open again. "Go get Kiernan and get home. You guys need to pack weekend bags." Jay just nodded and stood.

I followed him back into the building, but I only went as far as my locker to get my helmet. I had my bag with me, so I just went back out, passed Nikita and Cypress, and went to my motorcycle. They got in a van and followed as I drove home.

They waited outside in their white van while I went inside. Mom was home, so I first found her in the kitchen. "What are you doing home so early?" Mom asked, looking up from her book when I entered her room.

"I don't really know, they wouldn't tell me much. But I'm going somewhere for the weekend with the two new students, Cypress and Nikita." I said.

"You're going to Camp?" She asked in a solemn tone.

"Yeah, I think she mentioned a camp." I said.

"You be careful. And take Jay with you." Mom said. "He needs to go, too."

"They're having Jay and Kiernan come, too." I said.

"Kiernan, too?" Mom asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Because he can speak Greek." I said, somewhat bitterly. "He spoke Greek."

"Since when does Kiernan speak Greek?" Mom asked carefully.

"I don't know. It's just- he's been there for almost every single conversation I've had with Jay in Ancient Greek ever since we got here. And he heard everything, whether it was private or not or even about him. And he never once thought to tell me that he knew what we were saying, that he knew the language. And then, today, he's trying to talk to me and he starts speaking Ancient Greek." I said. A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"What was your first reaction?" Mom asked softly, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I went over and leaned against the pillows of her bed with her, and she put an arm around me.

"I- I slapped him across the face. And then I ran out of the building." I said. "Outside, I ran into this man, he knew my name and the things he was saying made no sense. Cypress and Nikita came outside and they looked so absolutely afraid when they saw him. They talked to him, and he made even less sense. The most I got from that exchange was that the guy's a total bastard and he's done something to Nikita, something horrible."

"Go pack a bag, then. Grab Jay's lock picking stuff, in case he forgets when he gets home. And then come back in here, I've got something for you and something for Jay." Mom told me. I nodded, and went up to my room.

I emptied the school stuff from my backpack and placed it neatly by my bookshelf. Then I started to fill my bag. I folded and put in two pairs of jeans, two tank tops, two t-shirts, undergarments for the weekend, and Kiernan's shirt. I also put my sneakers in the bag. Other things I packed were my songbook, my wallet, my Swiss army knife, my phone charger, and my phone. I also grabbed a pencil and tossed it in the bag, too.

I was about to leave the room, but then decided to fold up my heavy faux mink blanket and grab my thickest pillow to thing along for the long car ride. I didn't usually do well with long drives, unless I was asleep.

Now I was done packing a bag for myself, I went down to Jay's room and grabbed his lock pick set. Holding it under one arm, my blanket and pillow under the other, I went back down to mom's room.

When I entered her room, she was sitting on her bed with two small boxes in front of her. I went over and she handed me one. "Open it." She told me. I set down Jay's lock pick set and my blanket and pillow, and took the box, opening it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet, with a single bronze and silver charm in the shape of a sword.

I gave mom a quizzical look. "It's a weapon." She told me. It was a sword charm. Maybe a weapon for mice. "You'll understand more when they tell you about where you're going, probably once you get there. Each charm will turn into a different blade when pulled on."

"You're not making any sense." I told her.

"Your mother gave it to someone to hand off to me, so that I could give it to you one day when you learned more about who you are." Mom said.

"My... Mother?" I asked.

"Yes. She never wanted to leave you and your father. But there are certain laws she had to follow. Things that prevented her staying." Mom told me. She handed me the other box, and said "Give this to Jay. It's from his father."

I took the box and tucked it under my arm with Jay's lock pick set. Then I grabbed my blanket and pillow under my other arm.

"Now, go join your new friends. You'll really have to get going soon. It's a long and dangerous drive." Mom told me. I nodded. She got up and hugged me tight. I hugged her back. She knew what was going on, even if I was completely confused. So I needed to do what she said.

I passed Jay on the way to the front door. I handed him his box and his lock pick set, told him to see Mom before he left, and went outside.

Because Cypress and Nikita had a van, there were a lot of seats. So I stretched out in the very back, on the three seats that are connected. Jay and Kiernan could sit in the two seats in front of me.

I started setting myself up to be comfortable in the back. I put my backpack on the floor behind the seat on the left, and placed my pillow against the small armrest/cup holder against the side of the car, just under the window. Then I wrapped my blanket around myself like a cloak and laid down, my head at an angle that I could see a little out the window next to the seat in front of me. This was actually quite comfortable.

Maybe ten minutes later, Jay and Kiernan both got into the van. Jay sat on the left, Kiernan on the right. Jay glanced at me, and held up his box. I shrugged, and pulled out the charm bracelet mom had said my mother wanted me have. Then I put it on my left wrist and closed my eyes.

* * *

I woke up, I don't know how long later, to arguing. More like Jay and Kiernan asking Cypress and Nikita what they were arguing about, while they argued in sign language. I sat up, untangled myself from my blanket, and moved in between Jay and Kiernan's seats to better see what they were saying.

We can't tell them yet, Cypress. It's too dangerous, and we're only halfway there! Nikita said.

They need to know at some point, Nikita. And I don't want to get to camp without any explanation, and have someone faint from shock or something! Besides, they deserve to know. Cypress said.

You're right, they do deserve to know, but we just can't tell them just yet. Do you really want to be driving a car with that many of us aware of ourselves? We'll attract everyone within a hundred miles who would want to kill us! Nikita said.

"Kill us?" I asked. Nikita turned to face me.

"It's better you don't know yet. You'll be safer that way." She told me. She shot a glance at Cypress that said 'We're doing things my way.'

I went back to my seat and laid down, folding half of my blanket over me while I laid atop the other half. I laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes.

* * *

The next time I woke, it was dark out, and we were in New York. We had apparently stopped multiple times at rest stops, but they had decided to let me sleep. I thanked them for that.

"So, how long until we get to wherever we're going?" I asked.

"About an hour or so." Cypress said, glancing back in the mirror. I flopped back down in my little area. The very back was a good choice. It gave me a lot of space.

I looked at the seats in front of me to see that both Kiernan and Jay were asleep.

I stared out the window for the rest of the ride, not really seeing, but thinking. About all of the things that had happened recently.

They stopped the car in the middle of nowhere. At this point, the sky was beginning to get light again. "We're here. We've got a little bit of walking to do, past a couple hills and through the trees." Cypress announced.

"Alright. I'll wake the boys." I said. I turned first to Jay, and slugged him in the shoulder. He woke with a start.

"What?" Jay asked.

"We're here. Wake Kiernan." I told him. He nodded. I tried back to my stuff, and did my best to stuff my pillow in my bag. It just barely fit. I folded my blanket as small as I could, and tucked it under my arm, climbing past Jay and Kiernan and getting out of the van.

"So, this place is in the middle of nowhere?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. But the place is huge." Nikita said. I nodded.

Jay and Kiernan soon got out of the car, and we started into the hills and trees.

We walked for maybe fifteen minutes before something came barreling out of the trees toward us. It crashed into Nikita, knocking her to the ground. Within moments, Cypress had a sword in his hand. Where the hell had he gotten that?

"Relax, Cypress." Nikita said, laughing. "It's not a monster. It's just Zillah." Cypress put his sword away, apparently realizing the same.

"Zillah?" I asked.

"She's my hellhound puppy." Nikita said, sitting up while the fluffy little black dog kept trying to lick her face. Nikita scratched her behind the ears, and her tail wagged even harder. The puppy was about the size of a cairn terrier. "Her name means 'like a shadow'."

"You have a hellhound puppy?" I asked, just as Jay asked "Hellhounds are real?"

"Yes, I do have one. Her mom died, wounds from attacking others of us. She left behind a little litter of hellhound puppies, all but Zillah stillborn. I kind of adopted her after she followed me home." Nikita said. "And we've got a couple more minutes to go. We really should go before we attract anything else. Zillah just knows my scent well." Nikita stood, picking up the puppy and carrying her in her arms as we began to walk again.

We reached a large pine tree, with what looked to be a purple dragon wrapped around the base, about seven or so minutes later. A burden seemed to drop off of Cypress and Nikita's shoulders when we passed the tree, as if we were somehow safe now. Looking down into the valley, I realized we probably were. There was a large camp, like a summer camp, but it was huge.

We went to the large farmhouse. When we entered the living room, Nikita continued on to go get someone. She came back with a man in a wheelchair. He looked surprised to see all of us in the living room. I don't know what he was expecting.

"You've found demigods?" The man asked, wheeling himself so that he could face us.

"Yes, Chiron." Cypress said.

"How did the mission go, then? Did you figure out what was causing the storms? It wasn't monsters, was it?" The man, Chiron, asked.

"It was her." Nikita said, gesturing to me as she set the puppy down on the floor. Zillah ran about happily, before lying down at her feet. Chiron looked at me, surprised. I just stared at the floor.

"The storms seemed to have stopped, according to our sources." Chiron commented.

"I was too confused for my emotions to take over." I said.

"Confused?" Chiron asked.

"I ran into someone on the sidewalk after I ran out of the school. He somehow knew my name, and he said some really confusing things." I clarified.

Chiron looked to Cypress and Nikita. "He's back again." Nikita said quietly. Chiron's face went pale.

"What, exactly, did he say?" Chiron asked.

"I bumped into him, said sorry, he said 'No problem, Lyric'. And then he said he knew many things when I asked how he knew my name. Cypress and Nikita came outside, he called her his wife, insulted Cypress, so I stepped in front of them and told him off. He told me I should watch how I compose myself, and how I speak to my superiors. I said he wasn't my superior, he told me that as my future husband he was of course my superior. Nikita started screaming at him. And he told her I was like her. And then Nikita said she killed him, but he said he's immortal and a sliver of his essence has been free for a very long time and kept away so that it would stay free or something." I explained. "And... He said he's been working on me as long as her, I'm about her age. He planted that hate in my father. He... He made my life the mess it is, he said." I continued. "I started screaming at him about my father, about all the foster homes, about... Kiernan." A few tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Then he told us he'd collect her before the Winter Solstice. Her power is manifested differently, and her seventeenth birthday was recent. He said he'd be back for Nikita, too, and told me not to interfere. He said it wouldn't be as easy to get into his realm this time." Cypress finished.

"So the girl is the daughter of a primordial, then." Chiron observed.

"Primordial?" I asked.

"Greek mythology is not merely a bunch of myths. The gods are real, and they do have children with mortals sometimes. Everyone at this camp is a demigod, except for you and Nikita. You two are demi primordials. A rare breed, as most die in infancy, even though the case of a demi primordial ever even being born is rare in and of itself, as primordials do not usually have children with mortals in the first place." Chiron explained.

"Cypress is a son of the god Hypnos. I'm a daughter of the primordial Aether." Nikita added. "I can't use my powers because demi primordials aren't meant to exist, the power is supposed to be too much for a mortal body. My powers only bring me closer to death when I use them. But you seem to be able to use your powers quite well."

"Nikita, your powers are based on light, and you act as air does, unaffected by certain things. But Lyric, her powers are based off of nature, it seems. And the human body has many things found in nature in itself. Water, minerals, many things. I do believe that that may be anchoring her to the mortal world, keeping her from dying as she might have had she been unable to use her powers the way you are." Chiron guessed.

"My sister's almost always used her powers. She doesn't really have reason to use them normally, except for the odd little things here and there, but sometimes her emotions take over and she causes storms." Jay offered.

"Sister?" Chiron asked.

"Adopted. Mom adopted her when she was seven, a month or so before she turned eight." Jay said.

"Cypress, Nikita, why don't you bring these three to the Hermes cabin for now? They should be claimed by breakfast, or, at the least, dinner." Chiron said.

"Alright, c'mon guys." Nikita said. We followed her out of the living room, and out of the house, all the way to a cabin modeled like a little wooden lodge.

Nikita knocked on the door, and shuffling footsteps could be heard. A girl opened the door. "Hey, Nikita." She said.

"Hey, Leah." Nikita replied. "We've got three new demigods. This is Lyric, Jay, and Kiernan. They're unclaimed."

"Alright. We've only got one open bunk right now, though. We've got a bunch of other new campers from a mission that got back two days ago." Leah said.

They should be claimed soon. Just watch your siblings. Lyric is half Primordial, and we don't need your cabin torn apart because someone couldn't keep their hands out of people's pockets. Nikita signed.

"Nikita, I wouldn't do that." I protested.

"Either way, they can be annoying sometimes." Nikita said. She turned back to Leah. "Be especially sure to keep an eye on the Stolls."

"I will." Leah promised. "Alright, well, come on in, guys."

The three of us entered the cabin and she pointed us over to an another bunk. We set our backpacks at the foot of the bunk, and I set my pillow and blanket next to them. The three of us sat on the bunk, leaning on the wall. I leaned against Jay.

"So, everyone will be waking up soon, and then we will head to breakfast. You'll sit at our table because you are unclaimed, but you should be claimed soon, maybe even at breakfast." Leah told us.

I fell asleep leaning against Jay, which was odd, because I had literally just slept for most of that really long car ride.

* * *

 **And here we have it. They are officially demigods. Before, it was all unofficial, as it was not specifically stated. But now, it's all bright and shiny and new and official! Too bad there's no badges to match their snazzy new titles…**

 **If you're wondering why Nikita pretended to be mute while they were at the school, it was meant to keep attention off of them while they investigated. You'd be surprised how much people tend to overlook, disregard, or simply not notice you when you're a quiet person. God, I helped win so many capture the flag games back in elementary and middle school XD. They never learned, not even after attending the same small school for nine years. I was always able to walk right up and get close before they noticed me, and then I would always get our best players out of jail, or on rarer occasions, make a play for the flag myself.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	13. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

I fell asleep leaning against Jay, which was odd, because I had literally just slept for most of that really long car ride.

* * *

"Hey, Lee, it's time for breakfast." Jay said, shaking me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "C'mon."

I stood and followed Jay and Kiernan, who followed everyone else out of the cabin. We followed them to a large building, probably the mess hall.

Jay and Kiernan had just gone in ahead of me, and I was about to follow, when I heard a familiar voice. "What are you doing here?" Her voice held no venom as I would expect from her. I turned around to see Chelsey. Her eyes held a curious expression.

"I don't know, really. Cypress and Nikita brought us here." I said.

"The new kids from school. I knew who they were when they arrived, but I couldn't tell them I was one of us, too." Chelsey mused.

"But if you know who they are, wouldn't they know who you are?" I asked.

"Oh, no. They're kinda famous here at Camp. Saved us all last year. They were the prophecy kids this time around." Chelsey said. "Anyways, did they bring Kiernan?" She looked kind of nervous and anxious.

"Yeah." I said slowly.

"Thank the gods." She sighed in relief.

"Why are you so worried?" I asked. "Last time you two talked, not so nice things were said."

"I'm not who everyone thinks I am." Chelsey said. "I might be popular, I might be a cheerleader, but my reputation is only that. Reputation. And I never meant to hurt Kiernan or anything. I knew he was a demigod."

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"I'm a child of Hecate, and I am especially good at sensing the auras of others. His is full of bright colors and sunshine. I think I know who his godly parent is. But either way, I started that relationship so I could shield his scent. I didn't tell him because it would only make it more dangerous for him, and we live so far from Camp." Chelsey explained.

"Speaking of, how'd you get here so fast?" I asked.

"I've got some friends within the Party Ponies of Ohio." Chelsey said. What the hell did that mean?

"If you were only shielding him, why the theatrics? And why did you hate me so much?" I asked.

"I never hated you. I just didn't trust you. I didn't know what you were, or if you even knew you weren't mortal. Your aura is very earthy. I've never sensed an aura like yours." Chelsey told me. "And the theatrics, I was just trying to keep him near, and away from you. I thought you might be a monster or a god in disguise, just someone up to something. I didn't go about it very well."

"What about what you said about Chase?" I asked.

"Please. Me with him? No. I've never been with anyone like that. Most I've done is kissed, and not much at that. Though Kiernan's friendship with him wasn't ruined for nothing. Chase has been trying to get in my pants since high school began, and that's not something you try when it's your best friend's girlfriend." Chelsey told me.

"You're a much more likeable person here than back home." I observed. She laughed.

"Yeah, well, I prefer it here. I love Ohio, but I was never able to be myself there. And I couldn't even try now if I wanted. I have no idea if anyone back home can see through the Mist. If I knew for sure that no one did, I could rework it so I could be seen as myself, but even that would be a big feat. And I'm sure that one of Kiernan's parents, at least, can see through, because that sort of thing is what usually attracts the gods." Chelsey said.

"You could just slowly try to change your image. Hang out with nicer people, be nicer to everyone. Some people may think you're on drugs or something at first, but images can be changed." I told her. She laughed.

"I'm not so sure I'll be able to change my image." Chelsey said, just as Kiernan came back outside.

"Lyric, you were right behind us. What's taking so-" He faltered when he saw Chelsey. He only looked at her with no expression.

"Just try it." I told Chelsey. She smiled widely, a much more genuine smile than I'd seen on her back home.

"I will, Lyric. And thank you, for the advice." She said. As she passed me to go into the mess hall, she whispered so only I could hear. "Tell him what I said. Explain it for me." I nodded to her.

"Why were you talking to her?" Kiernan spat. He was obviously still upset.

"Because she's a great person and she's probably saved your stupid life a million times over by this point." I told him. He looked at me, shocked.

"What?" He asked.

"Your relationship was a way for her to keep you near so that she could mask your scent from monsters. She knew you were a demigod, she can sense auras. She hated me because she couldn't tell what I was, and she wanted you to stay away because she thought I might be some monster or God up to something. And when you broke up with her, what she said was a lie, her entire reputation is a lie. Though she says your friendship with Chase wasn't ruined for nothing, he's been trying to get into her pants since high school began even though you're his best friend and she was dating you. But either way, she's been protecting you for a long time." I told him.

"I don't believe you." Kiernan said.

"I don't care if you believe me. She's a completely different person here, and she's going to try and change her image back home. Maybe then you'll see I'm telling the truth." I told him. I turned around and walked into the mess hall. I spotted Jay and went over to sit beside him.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"I was talking to Chelsey." I said. He looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Chelsey?" Leah asked, sitting across from me. "She's a really sweet girl. Daughter of Hecate. She's got a talent for sensing auras, and she's always helped whatever demigods she comes across in whatever way she thinks will help the most."

Jay just looked even more shocked at Leah's description of her.

"She actually asked Chiron to send someone to see what was up when all those bizarre storms started happening up in her hometown. She thought it might be connected to one of the new kids, but wasn't sure. Her powers don't go far beyond manipulation of the mist and the ability to sense one's aura." Leah said. I blushed slightly.

"That was me. The storms and and the weird aura." I said. I looked around at the tables. Chelsey was sitting close by, a table away. I caught Chelsey's eye and waved. She waved back, smiling.

"I thought she hated you." Jay said incredulously.

"She couldn't tell what I was. She thought I might be some evil thing." I said with a shrug. Kiernan came back into the mess hall and sat next to me.

"Look over there, Kiernan." I said. I pointed to Chelsey's table. "She's different here. She's smiling and happy because she doesn't have to uphold a reputation to keep a fellow demigod safe."

Kiernan turned to Leah. "What is that, the popular table?" Kiernan asked, ignoring what I'd said.

"No." Leah said, covering a laugh. "Those are her siblings. At Camp, we sit at the table of our cabin, which we share with our siblings. Sometimes people sit elsewhere, but Chiron tries to keep it from being a huge mess. Like, Di Angelo sits at the Apollo table, because he's got a doctor's note, which everyone knows is a total sham because the doctor in question is his boyfriend, but he doesn't typically have anyone to sit with anyways, so it's excused. It was not fun being chased around by skeletons when they hatched that plot in the first place, let me tell you. And during the Summer, when they're all here, the Seven like to sit at the Poseidon table, along with Di Angelo and Solace and a couple others. And then you've got Nikita, all alone at her table, but Cypress and Rain and Adam will usually sit with her. Those four have become inseparable, Cypress and Nikita moreso."

"Are they dating?" I asked. "They seem to like each other."

"No, they're not dating. But everyone except them knows they like each other. They might as well be dating, after everything they've done for each other. She killed herself to save him and her friends, and he took a dip in the Styx for her." Leah said.

"Killed herself?" Kiernan asked.

"Yeah,the gods gave another chance after what she had been through." Leah said.

"Jay, what's that above your head?" I asked. A holographic symbol of a staff with two snakes twined around it floated above his head. Jay looked up, and poked it. It did nothing.

"He's been claimed!" Someone shouted excitedly, causing everyone to look over as the people at our table cheered. Chiron stood, and he had the bottom half of a horse. Honestly, not the weirdest thing going on right about now.

Chiron bowed. "All hail Jay Tucker, son of Hermes, messenger of the gods and goddesses of travel and thievery." Chiron announced.

Leah came around the table and hugged Jay. "Looks like you're our sibling." She said. She returned to her seat, and I looked down at the table. Jay moved closer to me and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey." He said quietly. "You're still my sister. I don't care who your mother is and who my dad is. We've still got mom, and we'll always have each other, okay?" I nodded.

"Hey, Kiernan, you just got one." Jay said, looking up. I looked, to see a bright rainbow floating above Kiernan's head.

Chiron announced Kiernan the way he had Jay. "All hail Kiernan Ashton, son of Iris, goddess of rainbows and communication." A few tables away, a table two thirds full of children and teens dressed in bright colors cheered.

"So that explains the aura." Chelsey said. I recalled what she had said about him having a bright and sunny aura.

"Wait, Kiernan, did you know only one of your parents was your actual parent?" I asked.

"Yeah. Dad cheated on mom almost eighteen years ago, and I happened. Lydia knows I'm only her half brother, but I don't know if they've told Mason." Kiernan said with a shrug. "That's how Lydia's only a year younger." I nodded.

* * *

Breakfast was just ending when I was claimed. The first campers were getting up to leave when Kiernan spoke. "Lyric, your tattoo."

"What?" I asked. I pulled my shirt up a little and looked at my hip. It was normal. I out the shirt back down and gave Kiernan a curious look. He pointed above me. I looked up, to see a holographic version of my tattoo, an exact replica of the flower on my hip.

"Huh." I said. Jay was staring at me. "What?"

"You have a tattoo?" He asked.

"Oh. Yeah. It's on my hip." I told him. He just looked surprised.

Chiron stood and bowed. "All hail Lyric Warren Ashton, daughter of the Primordial Goddess Physis, Primordial of nature." Nikita clapped. Everyone else seemed stunned, except Cypress, who had gone with us to see Chiron.

Everyone soon resumed their activities, leaving the mess hall, though there were some whispers and stares. Chelsey hugged me on the way out, and Jay and Kiernan were pulled off by their new siblings. I stayed in my seat, and a tear rolled down my cheek. I wasn't really sure why.

Nikita came over, followed by Cypress and a boy and a girl, who I guessed were Rain and Adam.

"Hey, you can stay in my cabin until you've got one. Or, it might just be a cabin for the children of Primordials." Nikita told me.

"Alright." I said. "My stuff's in the Hermes cabin."

Kiernan was just leaving the cabin with his stuff, following a girl from his cabin, when I went in. Jay was sitting on the bed they'd given us earlier. I guess it'd be his now. I sat down next to him and hugged him. He hugged me back, but I didn't let go, instead just letting him hold me. It wasn't like this was such a big deal. Why was I being so emotional about this? It's not like I was losing my brother, he just had some other siblings. I knew none of them could compete with our sibling bond, not that most of them would likely try.

When I let go, I grabbed my stuff, carrying my pillow and blanket in my arms while my bag was on my back. I exited the cabin and followed Nikita to another cabin, at the edge of the forest, in a mostly secluded place. You could still see the other cabins, but this one was kind of in its own private place. It was taller than the others, almost like one and a half floors. And it was shaped differently, a square originally, but with an edition off the side, as tall as the house itself.

"Well, that's certainly new." Nikita commented.

"What is?" I asked.

"There was no edition before." She replied. "I'm guessing that's your room." I followed her inside.

She gave me a mini tour, pointing out her room, the bathroom, the little loft, the couches and chairs, and the mini kitchen. There was an extra door in the middle of one of the side walls, near to the little kitchen area. Nikita told me that that was the new edition.

I gasped when we entered. It wasn't a room, like I had expected. It was a hallway. A very familiar hallway. It was the upstairs hallway of my house. Down to the last detail, I noted, seeing the drops of paint that had dried by one of the doors.

"What is this?" Nikita asked.

"It's... It's my house. This is the upstairs hallway." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"Yeah. I don't know if this is supposed to be some replica or if we're actually in Ohio." I said slowly. There was a flash of warm light and an earthy smell, and then a woman was standing in front of us. She was beautiful, with honey blonde hair and mossy green eyes. Her skin was tanned and covered in dirt smudges. She wore a long flowing dress that looked like running water, and a Halo made of flickering fire. She smiled at me.

"It is wonderful to finally meet you, Lyric." She said. I stared at her, while Nikita curtsied quickly. "I am your biological mother."

"What?" I asked quietly. This was my biological mother. I mean, I knew she was supposed to be some big powerful goddess or primordial or whatever, but this was... Suprising.

"I am Physis, Primordial Goddess of nature." She said. I wanted to cry. "I am sorry I was never there as you grew. I was not allowed to be, just as Aether was not allowed to be there for Nikita. He was nearly banished away when he healed her after the Styx. I would have come, done anything to show you that I did not leave on choice. To show you what you believed about love was wrong."

"I know it wasn't your fault. He said he made father hate me. It was his fault." I whispered. She smiled sadly.

"He was a lovely man before Tartarus got to him. Had you grown up with that man, I think your life would've been much different. But, as things have gone they way that they did, it was a good thing that you were taken away from him." She told me.

"When he... When he was killed, did you mourn him?" I asked. "I did, even though I didn't want to."

"I mourned your father years ago, when the man I fell in love with disappeared. But you, you never knew anything else. It was okay to be upset." She told me gently. "And the news of anyone dying like that will come as a shock, no matter what they were like."

"Just, why? Why did they shoot him seventeen times?" I asked, tears threatening to fall.

"As your mother told you, that is what happens when you shoot with so many officers on the scene. He knew he would not make it, not with so many officers." She said.

"It was my fault. I wouldn't stop. I could tell it was hurting him and I wouldn't stop talking." I said quietly. A single tear fell.

"No, Lyric. It was not your fault. The hate was too deeply instilled in him. Had you done what he wanted and went with him in the first place, he still would have tried to kill you. I know you realize this, deep inside. There was only so much he could handle before he snapped." Physis said.

"I can't believe my own father tried to kill me." I whispered. Physis stepped forward and tried awkwardly to give me a hug. I hugged her back, and she held me, stroking my hair.

"That was not your father. Your father was the man I fell in love with, a man called Warren. The twisted man that you knew was a man filled with hate who went by many names." She told me. She let go and stepped back.

"Now, other things are to be discussed." She said. "As you've discussed before, you can use your power, though Nikita cannot use hers."

"I really don't want to go through any of that again unless I absolutely have to." Nikita shuddered.

"After we finish here, you two must go to Olympus. I'll have someone send you. You must ask for them to break the bond. Nikita, you know what I am speaking of. He worked her much the same he did you. Only, she will be at her peak next Friday. Today is Saturday. You must keep her safe until the time passes. And even after. I fear her power anchoring her to this world is the very thing that will allow him to use her at any time he wishes. I think the power is enough." Physis said, worry in her eyes.

"I will protect her with my life." Nikita responded.

"While I want you to protect my daughter, don't put yourself in too much danger. I want neither of you to be harmed. Aether is a good friend of mine, and I wouldn't wish him to lose his daughter." Physis said. Nikita nodded.

* * *

 **Don't you just love when the godly parents talk to their kids, and the kids have no idea what to think/conflicting emotions?**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Extremely sorry about missing a whole week of updates! I started junior year Tuesday and updating completely slipped my mind! I'll post both those updates now, and tomorrow's update will (most likely) come on time. (Though it may be a little later in the day because I also start driver's ed afterschool tomorrow.)**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 **StellaAthena36 - Thank you for the feedback, I will definitely do my best to work on that! Also, I love the name XD Only other one I can think of is "Nicy" but that siunds weird. (Just wait til Part III starts posting, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"While I want you to protect my daughter, don't put yourself in too much danger. I want neither of you to be harmed." Physis said. Nikita nodded.

* * *

"Now, about this hall." Physis said. "This is indeed the hall of your home in Ohio. You can get anywhere from here. You'll just need this." She pulled something from seemingly thin air. It was a necklace, a simple, thick thing made from many tiny braided silver chains, short in length.

When she put it around my neck and clasped it, it was just slightly larger than a choker. I also felt the clasp disappear, as the chains melded together.

"This will not come off unless you will it. And if someone does manage to get ahold of it, it will be useless to them. Only you can use it. Only you are anchored in the way it's magic works." She told me.

"What?" I asked.

"This necklace will allow travel to anywhere you can think of." She told me.

"Thank you." I said. She smiled.

"I must go now. I've asked someone to bring you to Olympus when you are done here." She said. A flash of warm light and a bright sunshine like smell, and she was gone. Sunshine. That wasn't even really a smell, but it was familiar.

"Well, we're apparently supposed to be here. I'll just put my stuff in my room and come get it later after Olympus." I said. We walked down the hall and up the stairs to my attic room. I set my stuff down on my bed.

We went all the way downstairs, to the living room. I heard voices by the front door, in the little foyer. I went and stood in the doorway. No one noticed me. Nikita stood quietly beside me.

"They just disappeared from school after lunch. I get Lyric was upset, but they're not answering any calls or anything. I'm worried about my brother and my friends." Lydia said. She and Maddie were in front of the front door, speaking to my mother.

"All three of them are fine. They're in New York, with Cypress and Nikita." Mom told them.

"New York? With the new kids?" Maddie asked. "They may have been nice and friendly, but I'm not sure I'd trust them that much just yet."

"I'm not in New York." I said, stepping forward. Mom turned, looking at me surprised.

"Lyric?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was just at Camp." I told her.

"How so quickly?" She asked, confused. Maddie and Lydia were even more seemingly confused.

"I met my mother." I said, a hint of a smile on my face. Her mouth dropped open. "She brought us here."

"Well, then, I suppose everything is all sorted out?" Mom asked. I looked to Nikita.

"Sort of." Nikita answered, choosing her words carefully. "We need to go see some of our higher ups. It's quite important."

"So, Kiernan's wherever you guys went in New York?" Lydia asked. "Why didn't he tell me he'd be going? He left me alone in the house and I freaked when I couldn't find my brother after a while."

"He's fine. We had just gotten there just before everyone was waking up for breakfast. And breakfast was... Interesting." I said.

"Rainbows." Nikita said quietly.

"Who would've thought that's where he'd end up?" I said with a small laugh. Mom gave a small smile, knowing what we were talking about. Maddie and Lydia still looked confused.

There was a knock at the door. Lydia and Maddie stepped out of the way so that Mom could answer it. She opened it and gasped out loud.

"Hello, Whitney." The man said.

"What? Why?" Mom asked. She stepped back to allow him into the house, leaving the door open.

"Who are you?" Lydia asked.

"I'm Jay's father." He said. I had guessed it already, but Maddie and Lydia didn't know anything.

"I'm so confused." Maddie muttered. I would be, too, if I didn't know anything. All of a sudden my friends leave for New York, a couple of them appear back, in the house, no less, hearing about one of them meeting their biological mother they'd never met, and then meeting the father of one of them. It was a lot to take in.

Should we tell them? Or maybe ask Chelsey to help when she gets back? I signed.

It seems like one of the better choices. Nikita signed back.

"That won't be necessary." Hermes said. "They're both clear-sighted."

"They are?" I asked. He nodded.

"They are. Whitney, would you explain it all to them? The girls and I have an important meeting to get to." Hermes asked. Mom nodded. She looked like she wanted to cry.

"Before we go." I said. I turned to Maddie and Lydia. "Chelsey is going to start acting very differently when she gets back. Don't ignore her or chalk it up to some joke or something. She's gone through a lot just to protect a fellow demigod, ruined her entire image. She's a great girl, and you should try to be friends with her. If not, at least try to understand that she was just doing what she thought best to protect someone so that they wouldn't get killed." They both gaped at me.

"Who would she have gone to all that trouble for?" Lydia asked. I could tell she was doubting what I was saying.

"Your brother." I said. Lydia's jaw dropped. "She found another one of us, but couldn't tell him, because it would've put him in more danger, and we're too far from Camp for it to have been effective to try and send him there."

"But why would she go to the trouble?" Maddie asked.

"Because she's an extremely loyal girl. She won't leave any of her kind in danger, if she can help it. And she's got a special ability, one she's always seen as something she's supposed to use to help others. None of her siblings have an ability like that that's developed as hers." Nikita explained.

"I spoke to her this morning. She started that relationship to shield his scent. As for everything else, the popularity and such, I saw how different she is at camp. She's truly happy, and able to be herself. I think she just got caught up in the wrong crowd here." I added.

"Girls," Hermes said. Nikita and I looked to him. "My father is growing impatient." Nikita paled slightly. Hermes meant Zeus.

"Just be nice." I said. A flash of light, and Hermes, Nikita, and I were not longer in Ohio.

* * *

We were in a massive throne room.

"You are finally here." Zeus said. It was easy to tell who was who, with which throne they sat at. All of a sudden, the room and the gods shrank so that the gods were ten feet tall, and the room was proportional to that. Even changing to be more on our level, they still felt the need to intimidate us.

"Now, what is this meeting about?" Zeus asked.

Nikita stepped forward and bowed. I followed, and Nikita spoke. "Tartarus is again rising."

There were mumbles and whispers between the gods, but Zeus yelled at them to quiet, and looked at Nikita to continue.

"He plans to use Lyric. Today is Saturday, her power will peak Friday. But, unlike me, she is anchored to this Earth by her power. She can use her power as much as she wishes, and we fear that that will allow Tartarus to rise at anytime. We fear that there is not only a small window of time where he can use her, but an infinite window of time." Nikita explained. "He has worked her how he did me. We ask that the bond be broken, just as you did for me, but before he can get to her."

"So much trouble for two demigods, I vote we kill them here and now." Ares said.

"That would seem a good idea." Zeus mused, rubbing his beard. He looked around at the assembled gods. "All those In favor, say aye."

Before anyone could say anything, there was a bright flash of light, the throne room shook, and lightning cracked and thunder rumbled outside. Physis appeared in front of Nikita and I. She was ten feet tall as all the other gods were, but even at the same height, she seemed to tower over them all. Fires burned in her eyes, and her dress of water had violently crashing waves.

"You'll not harm my daughter, unborn grandchild, or Nikita. And they are not demigods, Ares. They are demiprimordials." Physis said calmly, though her tone was laced with steel.

Zeus was visibly frightened. Not much, but definitely some. "No, I suppose that wasn't such a good idea. Athena, help the mortals." He commanded. Physis crossed her arms and glared at him. Athena got down from her throne and showed Nikita and I to a little garden. We sat on a bench, with me in the middle.

Athena said something, but I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking of what my mother had said to Zeus. Unborn grandchild. That could mean only one thing. I was pregnant.

"Lyric." Athena said gently. I looked up at her. "This might hurt a little, and you'll be sent through a rush of memories. Then you'll hallucinate Tartarus. As soon as I breaks the bond, which might take a couple minutes." I nodded.

I stared forward as she got to work. The sky darkened, and I looked around, confused. Nikita and Athena were still sitting, as though nothing has happened. They were actually frozen in place, I realized.

In the dim light in front of me, three figures appeared. The moon came out from behind a cloud, and I realized Tartarus had knives to the necks of Kiernan and Jay. I screamed. He laughed.

"Why, little Warren girl, you'll have to choose which one to save. One must die. One must live. And it must be your choice. Or they'll both die." He told me, voice full of laughter and joy. I screamed again as tears ran down my face.

"Don't touch them ." I said, trying to sound strong. It came out strangled and weak.

"Oh, I'll only kill them if you don't choose. If you do choose, it'll only be you who harms them." He told me. I stood, stepped toward him, and collapsed as I felt a hot pain in my head. I watched as he slit both their throats. I screamed and screamed, and couldn't move as I was pulled through a bunch of memories. All the time spent with my hateful father, the foster homes, my father appearing and trying to get to me several times throughout my life with the Tuckers. Finally, an image of my father's dead body, though I hadn't seen it.

* * *

When I was able to move again, I opened my eyes to see that it was a sunny day and Nikita and Athena were looking down at me, worried expressions in their faces. I looked around, and there was no trace of any blood or Tartarus or Jay or Kiernan.

I pulled myself slowly into a sitting position. Looking around once again, nothing was out of ordinary. Everything was the exact same as when we entered the garden.

"What happened?" I asked, voice a whisper. "Where are they?"

"Where are who?" Nikita asked. She helped me to stand.

"It was... It was him. And he killed them. He killed them both because I wouldn't choose." I said. I felt as though I was going to burst into tears again.

"That didn't happen. It was a hallucination." Nikita said gently.

"But she said the hallucination would happen after the memories." A tear ran down my cheek.

"It's not going to be the exact same. It's the same kind of process, but it's a little different for you than it is for me." Nikita told me. I just nodded.

"The bond is gone. Go back to Camp. The gods will discuss possible solutions to the problem of Tartarus. Nikita, get the camp on high alert, just as you did before. There is a war brewing." Athena commanded. A flash of light, and she was gone.

"C'mon." Nikita said, taking my hand and pulling me out of the garden gently. "Let's get to Camp."

We walked for a couple minutes through Olympus, until we reached a freestanding pair of elevator doors. Nikita went right in and I followed. She pressed the one button, and I felt the elevator drop.

We quickly reached the bottom, and exited the building through the lobby, Nikita nodding at the desk manager on the way out. Looking behind us, I realized we had been in the the Empire State Building. Nikita whistled for a cab, and we were soon on our way to Camp.

* * *

We got out of the cab a little bit farther than where we had when Nikita and Cypress had driven us from Ohio. As we were walking, I started crying. We didn't stop, there was no time for that, but Nikita tried to comfort me.

"Is everything okay?" She asked gently.

"No. Nothing is okay. It's all too much." I said. "I can't deal with it. I move into this new place, and it's all great for a week. Then my father showed up and was shot seventeen times after trying to kill me and ending up shooting Kiernan, too. Then I go to a Halloween party and sleep with my neighbor, I run off for a day or two, I start a storm that doesn't end for a week. Then all this magical world stuff happens. I meet my mother, who I thought had left me the moment I was born and don't care about me at all, I learn my father might never have hated me if he hadn't been messed with by this evil guy, and I lose my brother, some of my only family, to a whole bunch of other kids that are more related to him than I am. And to top it all off, I'm pregnant and some guy wants to kidnap me!"

"Lyric." Nikita said. I looked to her. "It is alot to deal with. It is a lot of pressure. But half of that doesn't even matter. The past's the past. You can't change how you grew up, you can't change who you like, you can't change what's already happened. But you don't need to worry about the fact that you're pregnant, and you didn't lose your brother. Some of those kids will want to meet him and get to know him, yes, but none of them will be as close to him as you are. Some cabin mates get really close, but that usually happens if you knew someone before or if you both came to camp around the same time, or something like that. And they're not anymore related to him than you are. Besides, gods don't technically even have DNA." Her little pep talk seemed to help. My tears slowly stopped falling as we continued to walk.

The tree with the purple dragon was soon in sight. Jay and Kiernan stood nearby, along with Cypress and the two teens who had also been sitting with Nikita at breakfast. "Someone must've told them we were coming back. Probably your mother." Nikita observed as we walked towards them. I started crying again when I saw Jay and Kiernan, but it was more in relief, swing them safe and without their throats slit.

Jay smiled when he saw me, but it faded when he took note of my appearance. Red eyes, tear tracks. I guess it was a good thing I hadn't been wearing any makeup.

"What happened?" Jay called.

"I'm just so happy to see you guys." I said. I ran to him and hugged him. Then I hugged Kiernan. I stepped back and looked at them. "You're both safe."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Kiernan asked. The tears fell harder.

Nikita came up behind me and set a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't real. I hallucinated, too, when I went." Nikita said.

"You also slapped me." Cypress muttered.

Nikita glared. "You slapped me first. Did you not expect to be hit back?" Cypress just pouted.

"You had a hallucination?" Jay asked, concerned. I nodded quickly. Then I shook my head, tears falling fast, trying not to think about it.

"Why don't we go to my cabin?" Nikita suggested. The seven of us began walking. "Do you want to tell them about the meeting?"

"No!" I gasped. "No, no, no." Yeah, I might tell them some, but there was no way I was telling them what the hallucination was about, or that I was pregnant.

"None of it? Or... Specific parts?" Nikita asked.

"We were brought to Ohio. I met my mom, and I got a necklace. We met your dad, Jay. Mom's telling Maddie and Lydia about us, apparently they can see through the Mist. Then we went to Olympus. Ares wanted to kill us, and when Zeus agreed, my mom told them they better not. Zeus seemed afraid of her. Then we went to the garden and Athena did something that was supposed to help. I hallucinated and then was pulled brought a bunch of memories. Then we left." I said. I wasn't going to say anymore than that.

"You're not going to say anything about your...?" She gestured to my body. To the others, that could mean anything. To me, I knew she meant my pregnancy.

"No. No, they don't need to know. Don't tell anyone." I pleaded. She nodded. I trusted she wouldn't tell anyone unless it was for some reason important.

"Lee?" Jay asked, his voice just about breaking.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. He put an arm around me, but didn't press. I was thankful for that.

* * *

 **Oh, the humanity! Or god-ity, seems she's More Than A Mortal. See what I did there? It made me laugh, but my jokes are stupid, so ignore me.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	15. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. He put an arm around me, but didn't press. I was thankful for that.

* * *

When we got to the cabin, Nikita, Cypress, and their two friends sat on the chairs and couches. Cypress and Nikita shared a chair, and Rain and Adam shared a couch. I went through the door that we had gone through before, and Jay and Kiernan followed me.

This time, when I entered, it was a normal room, a bit large, and not the hallway of our home in Ohio. The walls of the room were painted white, and the floor was a light colored hardwood. A box spring and full size mattress sat in the corner, no bed frame, making them easily moved. The only other things in the room were painting supplies. There were a few blue plastic tarps, a bunch of gallons of different color paints, and many different cups of paint brushes, large and small.

I went over and sat down on the mattress. Jay sat on one side of me, while Kiernan remained standing.

"Are you alright, Lee?" Jay asked quietly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright. Stressed at the so many things going on, but I'm alright. I promise." I replied.

"What are we all going to do here?" Kiernan asked.

"I don't know." I admitted. "The closest place I've been to a place like this is our uncle's farm. I love Blackmeadow Range. Jay, do you think we'll be able to go there ever again?"

"I'm sure we will. Once this is all over, we can go straight there, and spend some time with our family. I'm sure Uncle Liam would love to have us over. And Orianne seems to love visitors. As for Ben, he can be a jerk, but he's a pretty good guy. And Mika loves her sister in law." Jay told me, an arm over my shoulders.

"Well, this is a very empty room." Nikita said from the doorway. The three of us looked up at her. "I IMed Chiron to tell him we got back. He and Mr. D want to see you."

"Now?" I asked weakly.

"Yeah. Chiron wants to know what happened, and Mr. D wasn't up there, his punishment keeps him down here, except for super important events." Nikita said.

"Can't you tell them? You were there for everything." I said.

"They need to hear it from you. I'm not in your head, I didn't see everything you did. They want to know what happened. Everything." Nikita said, saying the last part with meaning.

I really have to tell them? I can't just keep it at you and the gods who know? I signed.

Mr. D will know the moment he sees you. He's a god. And it's better if you don't leave out any details. Chiron will likely ask about your past, after what Tartarus put me through all my life. Nikita signed back. I sighed and stood.

"I guess I'll be back." I said to Jay and Kiernan. I followed Nikita out of the cabin, and walked with her to the large farmhouse.

* * *

When we entered the living room, Chiron and another man, likely Mr. D, looked up. "You got to and back from Olympus safely, then?" Chiron asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"What all happened after breakfast?" Chiron asked.

"I brought Lyric to the Hermes cabin to grab her stuff, then to my cabin. We found a new edition, which was obviously meant to be hers. But when we went through the door, we were in her house in Ohio. Her mother appeared. She spoke to us. Then we put her stuff in her room and went downstairs, and we found her mom talking to two of her friends, one of them the half sister of one of the new demigods." Nikita started.

"Hermes spoke to Mom real quick, told her to explain things to Maddie and Lydia, he said they can see through the Mist. Someone from our town is a camper here, and she's going to try and change her image at school and things. Then Hermes brought us to Olympus." I continued.

"When I told Zeus about why we were there, Ares said they should kill us. Zeus said that that was a good idea, tried to start a vote. But Physis appeared in the throne room." Nikita said. She gave me a look, telling me to be the one to tell them the next part.

I looked down at the ground. "She said that they better not harm her daughter and unborn grandchild, or Nikita." I said quietly.

"That mother of yours can be quite intimidating." Mr. D said. I was glad he chose not to comment on my current condition.

"After that, we went out to the garden with Athena. She managed to get rid of the bond, like she did for me. The same things happened to Lyric, except she hallucinated before the memories, and her hallucination was different." Nikita said.

"Would you mind explaining the memories and the hallucination?" Chiron asked gently.

I spoke, not moving my gaze from the floor. "It was like everything froze in place. The sky darkened, well, more turned to night. Three figures appeared. A cloud moved away from the moon, and I saw who it was." I looked up at him, tears threatening to fall. "He had a knife to their necks, Jay and Kiernan. He told me I had to choose one of them, or they would both die. When I stood up, I collapsed from a pain in my head. I watched as he slit both of their throats, and then I had to relive so many horrible memories."

"What were the memories?" Chiron asked.

"My childhood with my father. A year or so of cruel foster homes. The times my father tried to get to me even after mom adopted me. His dead body after he stabbed me and shot Kiernan, even though I had passed out from blood loss and didn't see it." I said.

"Your father stabbed you?" Chiron asked. His voice held a very surprised tone.

"He told Jay he was one of my dance instructors. I was at Kiernan's, he's our neighbor, actually, so Jay called me. I told him to keep himself and mom away from the door, and I told Kiernan's parents, who were in town, to call the police. I went out to speak to him. A Lot of things happened. I didn't help things by speaking to him in Greek. I was confused when he said he hadn't taught me it, like I thought, but when I realized I was getting to him, I just wouldn't stop." I said. I took a deep breath. "He hit me a couple times, shoved mom into the side of the house, shoved a knife through my hand when I pushed Kiernan out of the way, and then shot at me when there were many police officers around. Mom said he was shot seventeen times."

"He shot at you, but it was Kiernan who was hit?" Chiron asked.

"He pushed me out of the way. Instead of me getting a bullet to the heart, Kiernan got a bullet to the side. We both went to the hospital, but we both passed out before they got an ambulance there. I had pulled the knife out of my hand just before the police arrived." I explained.

"And after Athena rid you of the bond?" Chiron asked.

"We went to the cabin. Then Nikita said you guys wanted to see me a few minutes after that." I finished.

"Chiron, Athena said to prepare the campers for war again." Nikita said. "Lyric is powerful enough that if he ever gets to her, he'll be able to use her at any time."

"I will alert the campers. We will have to set up patrols and have the campers train every minute possible." Chiron said grimly. Chiron sent us to wait in a room set up with a ping pong table and many chairs.

A horn sounded through camp, different than the one that had signalled breakfast. This one held a grim and ominous tone.

Soon, campers started entering the room, all quiet and serious. There were a lot of campers, but not as many as the camp held. Nikita told me we were having a counselor's meeting. This was the camp's war council.

When Cypress entered, he came over to us. Nikita stood, and he sat in her chair. She sat back down in his lap. She probably did it only because there didn't seem to be enough chairs in the first place, but it was obvious to me that they liked each other and didn't know it.

When everyone was seated, Chiron spoke. "We must discuss the threat of Tartarus rising."

"Didn't we get rid of that threat last winter?" Someone asked.

"We thought we had." Chiron said. "The threat is even larger this time."

"How is he doing this?" Someone else asked.

"Lyric was claimed at breakfast this morning by a Primordial." Chiron said. Most of them already knew that.

"So we just protect her until whatever the date is passes." Someone else said.

"It is not that simple. Her power is enough that if he were ever to get to her, he could rise at any time." Chiron said. The room went dead silent.

"Then what do we do?" A camper asked.

"We find a way to keep him down for awhile, if not for eternity." Chiron said grimly. "But as of now, camp is on high alert. Every demigod needs to be brought back to camp. I fear this time around, things will be much bloodier. The Athena cabin will head organization of patrols and training. Ares cabin will help. Apollo cabin, set up infirmaries. The rest of you, you know what you are to do."

With that, the campers got up and left, rushing to complete their tasks. Cypress, Nikita, and I were the last to exit. "Lyric." Chiron called. I stopped in the doorway, and Cypress and Nikita stopped as well.

"Train. But do not go on patrol. You need to stay well within the camp's borders. The same goes for you, Nikita. And I suggest it of those you care for." Chiron said. I noticed and followed them out.

* * *

"Why can't we help on the camp's borders?" I asked as we walked toward the cabin.

"Because last time, when Nikita did that, she was kidnapped." Cypress said, tossing an arm over her shoulder. She held his hand with her own.

"Can we train?" I asked.

"You'd need a weapon, first." Nikita said.

"I have one." I told her. She raised an eyebrow and I held up my left arm, showing her the charm bracelet.

"Alright, then. But we should go back to the cabin and get your brother and friend. So that they can train with us." Nikita said. I nodded.

We went back to the cabin, got Jay and Kiernan, as well as Cypress, and then they led us to the armory. So Keiran could get a weapon. Jay's box had held a ring, which apparently turned into a sword.

Kiernan ended up finding a long sword, made of the same bronze metal that almost all these weapons seemed to be.

When we went to the arena, there were very few people there. I assumed most would be off preparing for the high alert the camp was now on.

"Alright, let's see what you've got." Nikita said to me. She chose a spot and drew two swords. Cypress did the same with Jay a little off the side. I tugged a little on the charm, and in the blink of an eye, I had a sword in my hand, modeled exactly after the charm. It was a bronze blade, with a normal steel crossguard, and a leather hilt.

"Ready?" Nikita asked. I nodded.

Nikita went to strike, but I blocked the sword with mine, though barely. I kept the sword up, ready to block if needed.

We sparred for about two minutes. Then Nikita disarmed me with a block so hard it knocked my sword from my hand. Jay and Kiernan pretty much fared the same against Cypress, Kiernan lasting a little longer. Then, they had us try sparring against each other. Kiernan and Jay both beat me.

Nikita and Cypress taught us little things here and there, and some techniques, but said the main thing was your gut. We were demigods, we were hardwired for battle. We practiced for the next two hours. My favorite thing was the disarming move Cypress taught us, and I seemed to be able to do it better than Jay and Kiernan.

* * *

When we were done, we all went back to our cabins to shower. I let Nikita go first, and thought of my room in Ohio. When I appeared, I was standing next to my bed. I took everything but my clothes out of my backpack, and packed a couple extra outfits, and a few sweatshirts. Then I went back to camp.

When Nikita got out of the shower, I went in. I took a quick shower, wrung out my ahjr as much as humanly possible, wrapped a towel around myself, then made my way back to my room.

When I entered my room, Kiernan was sitting on my bed. "Hello." I said.

"Hey." He replied.

I knelt down to my bag by the door and pulled out undergarments and a soft, baggy black sweatshirt without hood. I exited the room and went back into the bathroom to get dressed.

When I got back to my room, I went and sat next to Kiernan. "Why'd you leave to change?" He asked. I gave him an odd look. "It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before." I hit him in the arm, and then I saw his smirk. He was trying to be irritating. Lovely.

"So, how's camp been to you?" I asked. "Are your siblings nice?"

"They're nice and all, but none of them come close to Lydia and Mason." Kiernan said, laying back. I laid back beside him, staring at the ceiling. "What about you?"

"Camp's nice. But I just kind of feel like I'm losing my brother. I mean, I'm only one person, and now he's got a whole cabin full of people more related to him than I am." I said.

"He's still your brother, Lyric. He's not going to abandon you." Kiernan said.

"I know that." I replied. "I'm just... Apprehensive about this."

"Looks like you're finally talking to me again, huh?" Kiernan asked. I smiled a little.

"Looks like it." I replied.

Kiernan propped himself up on an elbow and looked at me. "In all seriousness, though, are you okay, Lyric? I really am sorry if I hurt you."

"You could never hurt me." I whispered. His eyes searched mine. I reached up, pulled him down on top of me, and kissed him. I can say he definitely did not expect that. After a moment, he kissed me back.

He slowly sat up, pulling me up with him. He pulled me into his lap, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, while his hands were on my hips. The kiss deepened, and his hands slid up my sides slowly. My fingers tangled in his hair. His fingers found the clasp of my bra, and unhooked it, pushing the straps from my arms under the sweatshirt. It fell to my lap and was discarded to the side.

A few minutes later, there was a dramatic voice. "Oh, my poor virgin eyes!" I pulled away from Kiernan and looked over his shoulder to see Jay standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Kiernan's hands slid to my hips as he pulled me closer to him.

"Like you're so innocent." I told him.

"You argue my chastity?" Jay asked, placing a hand to his heart in an offended gesture.

"I seem to recall you staying over at Maddie's place instead of me on Halloween." I told him. Kiernan's lips went to my neck.

"She told you about that?" He asked. I laughed.

"No, she denied it. But the blush on her face told me everything I needed to know." I told him. One of Kiernan's hands slid up to the back of my shoulders, while the other was tracing patterns on my thigh.

"Well, if you two could stop for a minute, I came to tell you lunch is starting soon." Jay said.

I was about to answer when Kiernan whispered something in my ear. I turned red. He leaned back and smirked at me. "Jay?" I asked, voice a little higher than normal. "Could you please get out?" My brother laughed and left the room.

* * *

Sometime later, Kiernan laid beside me and pulled a sheet from the bed over the two of us. He turned on his side to face me, and I did the same.

"I love you so damn much." Kiernan told me.

"I love you too." I said. "And I'm sorry about everything. Running away. Refusing to speak to you. I was afraid."

"Of what?" Kiernan asked.

"My feelings. All I had ever known of my mother was that she fell in love with my dad, had me, then left him. And all I knew about love was that it had destroyed my father." I said. "I know that that wasn't true, now, but I didn't know that before. And I was scared."

"Love isn't as bad as you might think." Kiernan told me. "I've found it can be quite enchanting." He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to him. He kissed my forehead, and I laid against him.

* * *

 **And there it is.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Today's update, as promised! (And later at night, just as promised.)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

Something cold splashed over me, and I bolted up, clutching the sheets to my chest, jolted awake from my sleep. Kiernan did similar, except he wasn't clutching at the sheets. I looked to the side to see Jay standing, holding a bucket and grinning. I glared at him, and he only grinned wider.

I pulled all the water that Jay had dumped on me and Kiernan away from us, formed it into a ball, and threw it at Jay. He realized what I was doing and just managed to get out of the room and slam the door before it could hit him. So it instead splashed against the door and fell to the ground.

"Well, that was a rude awakening." Kiernan said.

"I can't believe he did that." I muttered. "I'm going to kill him."

"You should spare him. Get him back some other time." Kiernan told me. I smiled at him. He leaned over and kissed me. I kissed him back quickly, before leaning back again.

"Kiernan," I started, anything, if not nervous, "I have something I need to tell you."

Jay entered the room again, but there was no longer a joking air about him. "The monsters have started to arrive. And they've broken the border in a couple places. Demigods are still being brought back, but they need help holding the borders. I'm going to help. Kiernan, you can too, if you'd like." With that, Jay turned back around and exited the room again.

"I'm going to go help. You can tell whatever it is after I get back, okay?" Kiernan kissed my forehead and got up from the bed, pulling on his clothes from earlier. Then he left the room, leaving me to wonder whether I should really tell him or not. I wanted to, but I was still worried. What if he didn't want the child, or decided that it was too much and left me? What if he hated me?

I slowly got up and put my clothes from earlier back on. Then I imagined myself in my room back in Ohio. Moments later, I was there. I went over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of flannel pajama pants and pulled them on. Then I went all the way downstairs, to the kitchen, and got a glass of milk. I don't know why, I just really wanted a glass of milk. I imagined myself back in my room at camp, and when I opened my eyes, I was there.

I laid down on my bed, pulled the sheets back over myself, and buried my face in the pillows. They smelled like sunshine. I realized that's why it had smelled familiar when my mother flashed away. That's what Kiernan smelled like. Sunshine. It was a lovely smell. I fell asleep, breathing in his scent deeply.

* * *

Rather than having water dumped on me, I was awoken this time by someone shaking me frantically. I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. Nikita was standing in front of me, a disturbed and worried expression on her face. "You need to come quickly. He has both of them, and he's demanding you come to the border." She told me. I was on my feet in an instant, my sword in my hand. I followed Nikita as she ran out of the cabin and toward the tree with the purple dragon.

When we got there, I saw that Tartarus had knives to the throats of Jay and Kiernan. Neither of them dared move, knowing he would kill them if they tried to. Jay shot me a panicked look, trying to tell me to get away, and Kiernan did the same. But I didn't leave.

"Let them go." I said.

"I don't think I will." Tartarus said. "Remember that oh so lovely hallucination?" My breath hitched.

"Yes, that was a fun gift, wasn't it? Well, now is the time. Choose." He ordered.

"No." I whispered. I fell to my knees in the grass, and my sword fell from my hand, disappearing back to the bracelet. Tartarus laughed. "No."

"You don't want it to really happen this time, do you? Choose." Tartarus said.

"I can't." Tears were falling freely. A gentle rain started.

"I'm prepared to make you an offer." Tartarus said. I looked up at him. "In exchange for their lives, you come freely with me, and you cooperate."

I stood on shaky legs. I barely heard Nikita screaming at me not to. She didn't understand. I couldn't let him kill them. I walked towards him slowly, and he released Jay and Kiernan, pushing them forward roughly. Both of them stumbled and fell to their knees. I walked right past them, and took Tartarus' outstretched hand. He laughed, and the sky turned blood red. Pain shot through my body, and I screamed. I could faintly hear Tartarus again speaking.

"Nikita, you know of her condition. Come, or I will kill her." Moments later, I heard Nikita scream.

Then I blacked out.

* * *

When I woke, I was lying on a bed. I went to move, but a heavy weight on my stomach kept me down. Opening my eyes, I realized it wasn't a weight, but actually my stomach. I was huge. "What the hell?" I whispered.

Tartarus' voice filled the room, though he was nowhere to be seen. "Ah, yes. I've sped your pregnancy along. You'll be going into labour at any moment, now." He said cheerily. I felt like I might throw up. I noticed I was wearing only a hospital gown.

I tried to sit up, but I was having a lot of difficulty. Then, someone was helping me up. I turned my head to see Nikita. "Nikita?" I asked.

"He said that if I didn't come, he would kill your baby." Nikita told me.

"What?" I asked.

"I wasn't going to let him do that, so I went. That baby deserves to be born." Nikita said, determination in her eyes. "I'm also supposed to be your midwife. I'm all you have to help you through this."

"I wish he could be here." I whispered. "I was going to tell him, but then he went to fight. I didn't get to tell him."

"You'll get to tell him. You'll get to show him your beautiful baby. We're going to make it out of here. Don't you worry." Nikita told me.

I was going to reply, when I felt an immense pain. I leaned over, clutching my stomach. "Lyric?" Nikita asked.

"That really hurt." I said through gritted teeth.

"It's going to hurt." Nikita agreed. "I think that that was a contraction. Just lay back, okay?" I did as she said.

"How do you know what to do?" I asked.

"My mother was a prostitute. I had to help her through a pregnancy, once, when I was nine. She only got pregnant once after that, but she aborted it." Nikita told me.

"You have a sibling?" I asked.

"No, she thought he was a waste of space in the world. He was only two weeks old when she threw a glass bottle at him. He wouldn't stop screaming and crying, probably because she was a horrible mother and always abused him. I was left to take care of him for most of those two weeks. But a nine year old just isn't cut out for that kind of care, the kind of care a baby needs." Nikita told me quietly.

"Nikita," I said, "I want you to be my baby's godmother. I want you and Chelsey to be this child's godmothers, and I want Cyprus to be it's godfather. You've all already done so much for me and my brother, and Kiernan."

"That's not really how it works, Lyric. There can only be one godmother." Nikita said.

"Screw the rules. This world has about a million or more gods, my child can have three godparents." I told her. She smiled. Another contraction hit, and I winced.

"Alright, just try to relax, okay? That's going to be the best course of action for you to take right now." Nikita told me. I nodded. She held out her hand, and I took it, gripping it tightly.

Seven hours. Seven hours is how long I was in labor. It freaking hurt. But it was worth it, to be able my beautiful baby girl afterwards. Nikita had found a bin with things for after I gave birth. Scissors, a green blanket, a towel to clean her off with.

"What's her name?" Nikita asked softly. I kept my gaze on the little baby in the green blanket in my arms. She had these deep green eyes that held this fire, even as a baby, and a little tuft of green hair that was some shade between my eyes and Kiernan's eyes.

"Whitney Warren Ashton." I said. "My baby's name is Whitney Warren Ashton."

A door materialized on the opposite wall, and Tartarus stepped through. "What beautiful baby. Whitney Warren Ashton, born at 6:17 a.m., November 19th, perfectly healthy, if a bit small."

I hugged her closer to my chest, careful not to wake her, and Nikita stepped protectively in front of the bed. Tartarus stepped forward. "Hand over the baby, Lyric."

"Please, no." I whispered.

"We had a deal. You cooperate in exchange for the lives of your brother and your lover. Are you going to go back on that deal?" He asked. He took a couple more steps forward.

"She's just a baby." I said. He reached me, pushing past Nikita, and ripped my baby from my arms. Setting a hand on my forehead, he whispered something under his breath. I screamed when a searing pain shot through my head.

I recovered just as he left. Watching him leave, I briefly wondered why he was holding a baby, but it soon left my mind as I fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

When I again woke, I was on the floor, in a room that held only a clothing rack with a single white dress hanging on it. A piece of paper appeared in the air in front of me, fluttering to the floor. I caught it, and read it. _Good morning, sweetheart! It's our wedding day. Get changed into the white dress, quickly, and meet your escort by the door. They'll be waiting in the hall. Remember our deal, you best cooperate. You'll not appreciate the consequences if you don't cooperate._

Knowing I had no other choice, I quickly changed from the hospital gown I was wearing - weird - and put on the wedding dress. I had nothing on under it, as I had nothing on under that hospital gown.

Done with changing, I went to the door and opened it. It opened inwards. Outside the door, a woman with a giant snake for a bottom half stood, waiting. She grabbed my arm roughly and practically dragged me down the hall. We stopped outside two gigantic doors, and she let go of me to open them.

Inside was a huge ballroom, set up for a wedding. There were as many guess as could fit, and all of them were monsters. Except for Nikita, who stood by the side of the arch, wearing a red bridesmaid dress. She had a pained expression on her face. Tartarus stood directly in front of the arch, a cruel smirk on his face as he looked at me. A girl with a metal leg and a donkey leg, and fiery hair and red eyes, stood under the arch, acting as priest.

I walked slowly down the aisle, stopping in front of the arch, at Tartarus' side. I forced an all too cheery smile onto my face and made myself suffer through the ceremony. Luckily, it did not last long. The moment it was over, Tartarus' grabbed my arm and the ballroom disappeared around us.

* * *

A bedroom flickered into view in front of us. It was lavish, with candles and flower petals strewn about around the large four poster bed. Tartarus' pushed me down onto the bed, and I didn't struggle. I couldn't go back on the deal. I had to cooperate. I knew he could easily get to them. If I had to suffer for them to be safe, then so be it.

As soon as he was done, Tartarus' left the room. The moment he was gone, a pile of clothing appeared on the pillow. I quickly pulled on the large black sweatshirt. Any clothing was better than none. Also better than that wedding dress that still lay on the floor.

* * *

The next time I woke, someone was carrying me over their shoulder. I didn't open my eyes, for fear of whatever it was that was happening. I didn't open my eyes when I was laid on a bed. I didn't open my eyes until I heard speaking.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" It was Nikita.

"I don't know. That was a really long Pegasus ride. What did he do to her?" It was Kiernan. Somehow, it was Kiernan.

"I have no idea." Nikita whispered. Her voice sounded broken. I knew what Tartarus had done to me, but what had happened to Nikita?

I tried to open my eyes, but found that I couldn't. I couldn't move any part of my body. I soon fell back to sleep.

* * *

This time when I woke up, it was finally for real, and I didn't fall back asleep right away again. I opened my eyes slowly, looking around to find myself in my bedroom.

Wait. My bedroom? How was I here? Memories filled my blank mind. Someone carrying me, the voices of Nikita and Kiernan. Kiernan. How?

The door opened and Nikita came in. She came over and sat beside me, quietly explaining the current situation. We would stay here, our safest decision at the moment. Mom was going to the farm tomorrow, and Maddie and Lydia would stay with Chelsea, who had come back to keep everyone's minds from exploding with everything that had been going on.

When I asked what had happened to get us here, she told me Kiernan rescued us. Jay would have come, but Kiernan had snuck out of camp at night, leaving Jay behind. That didn't really make sense, but if she wasn't telling me the truth, it was probably for a good reason. I wanted to know my brother was safe, but if he wasn't, I didn't think I could take the stress right now.

The door opened, and Kiernan came in. He came over and sat next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him. Nikita got up, saying she was staying in the house she and Cypress had used, and left. I caught a look in her eyes, a look that seemed like fear, but that couldn't be right. What was she to be afraid of here?

"How are you doing?" Kiernan asked in a soft voice.

"Better. Tired. Stressed. Sore. But better than before." I replied.

"Better is good." He said, kissing my forehead.

"Better is definitely good. But I think I want to sleep again. I do not feel well." I said. It was true. I had a little bit of a headache, I felt a bit nauseous, and I still felt tired.

"Alright. But when you wake up again, you need to eat something. You haven't eaten since yesterday, at least, not once I got you guys out of there." He said. He almost seemed to be bragging about getting us out. Why would he brag? I brushed it off.

I moved to lie down against my pillows, and Kiernan moved to lie down next to me. I curled into him, and fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up from a nightmare. I hadn't realized I hadn't had one in awhile until I had one again. I sat up, breathing hard, tears streaming down my face and sweat glistening on my forehead. Kiernan was still asleep beside me. I quietly got out of the bed and went downstairs to the bathroom. The clock said it was one o'clock. My guess, it was probably Sunday the twentieth, still.

Once I had calmed down, I rubbed a cool wet cloth across my face, wiping away sweat and tears alike. I left the cloth by the sink and went downstairs to the kitchen. I did need something to eat. But I wasn't very hungry, so I only had a granola bar.

I exited the kitchen to find Jay and Kiernan by the front door, just stepping in. I stopped, surprised.

"Jay, I thought you were at camp. And Kiernan, I thought you were upstairs. Asleep. And wearing a different outfit." I blurted.

"We both just got here from camp." Kiernan said slowly. A realization dawned on me.

"That's what she was so afraid of. She knew." I said slowly. Neither of them knew what I was talking about, so I just said "Stay here for a moment."

Imagining Nikita, I found myself in her room in the blink of an eye. She was staring at the wall. I grabbed her arm, and imagined myself back in the foyer of my house.

"Okay, I'll be right back again." I said. This time, I imagined Chelsey.

I appeared, right in front of three guys and two girls from school. Chelsey jumped up. "Lyric?" She asked. She was more surprised to see me than the other kids were. Made sense. I had been basically kidnapped by Tartarus.

"There's two of them, I need your help. This can be fixed later." I told her. I grabbed her am and then we were back with the others.

"Is that really him?" I asked, pointing at Kiernan. Chelsey looked at him, looked at me, and nodded. She looked like she thought I might be crazy. I turned to Nikita. "Then it's Tartarus upstairs, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I wanted to tell you, but he threatened to kill her. He threatened to kill Whitney." She said.

"He threatened to kill mom?" Jay asked.

"I can't say anymore. He made me swear on the Styx. I can't tell you or anyone until you remember. If you remember." Nikita said. A tear fell down her cheek. But her eyes said he didn't threaten to kill our mom. No, it was someone else. I wondered who.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Worse things than death await those who break an oath on the Styx." Nikita said.

"Why don't we go upstairs and figure out how to get rid of the guy we all hate?" I asked.

"That sounds extremely dangerous." Jay announced. "Let's do it."

* * *

 **So, it was all a trick. Why you gotta be like this, T? (Fun Fact: In writing out my plans for fics, I make a list of short sentences, ranging from very in detail to an entire week with only one short sentence. I also abbreviate character names to one or a few letters. Tartarus was T.)**

 **Also, will Lyric ever tell Kiernan about her baby? The world may never know.**

 **What the world will know is that I have decuded I hate driver's ed. Not for the teachigs or boring learning stuff - because if this pushy and annoying instructor. He repeated the rules like seventy times to us today and in a tone like we'd all already broken all of them. He was getting people signed up for driving times, and he kept going on and on about "you guys signed up for this, you need to be able to make these!1!1!1!", "you guys HAVE to do these", and "SOMEONE must be ableto do _this_ time" (it was just the one night for later in the evening like calm down dude). Also he got a bit huffy when one kid couldn't do any driving times this week because he had said he was just finishing training for his job and he needed his work schedule first, and then another girl needed her schedule. He told them we should be coming to driver's ed class prepared, IT WAS THE FIRST FUCKING DAY TODAY, MAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR. **

**On another note, I should have signed up with the lady instead but she was only taking some of our class and I was not quick enough to volunteer because I was trying to finish my questions from chapter one.**

 **On another other note, the little brother of the guy that asked me to prom is in my driver's ed. I doubt this kid knows who I am, but I know who he is. (I'm doing driver's ed much later than usual because I'm already sixteen and a junior, but the kid is a sophomore and probably somewhere around fifteen and nine months like the class requires you to be. His brither asked me to prom last year, but I declined. And no, there wasn't huniliation from some big promposal or anything, he asked me over text if I wanted to go after not so subtly hinting at it, and I responded with "Like as friends right?" He said yeah but I still said no because I'm awkward and my brain at the time decided I needed that clarification, however untrue, to be able to ti function.)**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	17. Chapter 16

**So sorry for the day late update! I had driver's ed yesterday, and then I was only home for an hour or two before my dad picked me up to go do a little shopping and dinner, and I didn't get home until ten, plus I've got plans for today so I had to get some sleep and I'm just posting this real quick.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 **xxstella - Eh, I like the whole actually-learning-to-drive thing. The guy actually was a lot nicer when I went driving with him and then in our second class. Monday must've ben a tired and hot and grumpy sorta day. Also, who doesn't question life over fanfics? I know I have xD Next chapter posts Friday!**

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"Why don't we go upstairs and figure out how to get rid of the guy we all hate?" I asked.

"That sounds extremely dangerous." Jay announced. "Let's do it."

* * *

We went quietly up the stairs, everyone drawing whatever weapon they had. I tugged on the charm on my bracelet, and my sword appeared in hand. The blade was oddly comforting, even though I'd only ever wielded it twice, not using one of those two times.

When we went into my room, he was standing in the center of the room. He still looked like Kiernan. When he saw all of us with our weapons, he just smirked.

"Finally figured it out?" He looked at Kiernan. "More like they did."

"You said like two sentences to me, and I was asleep for the gods know how many hours. No one's gonna figure out anything like that." I said in an annoyed tone. I was so done with everything going on.

"Why don't you all put away your weapons?" He asked, shifting back into his own looks.

Chelsey whimpered, and I looked back at her. "His aura is so dark and evil." She whispered. Then she passed out. Jay caught her, and set her gently against the wall, putting her sword in her sheath.

"Ah, yes, the daughter of Hecate with the rare gift of being able to clearly see one's aura." Tartarus said. "Now, let's get down to business. Put away your weapons."

None of us made any move. Tartarus tutted. "Come now, don't make me harm an innocent child." In his arms appeared a baby in a green blanket. It looked like the baby had a little tuft of green hair. Odd.

Nikita whimpered this time, but didn't pass out like Chelsey. No, it was a reaction to seeing the baby.

"I see you have kept your oath, Niki. Good." Tartarus said.

"Do not call me by his nickname!" Nikita snarled, expression going from upset to angry in less than a second.

"You are in no place to be ordering me around. Now, all of you, put away the weapons. I will not hesitate to kill the child." Nikita sheathed her swords. I, slowly, did the same. Jay and Kiernan were more hesitant, but did as he said.

"Good for all of you. Now, I'll be keeping Whitney around with me for now. You'll feel my rise, Lyric, and it will most likely hurt. Nikita, you know what that felt like. You may even feel it as well." Tartarus said.

"Please, just give her back. She's just a baby." Nikita pleaded. Something echoed at the back of my mind, but I didn't have a spare moment to worry about it.

"Au revoir." Tartarus called, then his form flickered and disappeared.

"I think... I think that I need to go see Mom. She's still here, right?" I asked Nikita. Nikita nodded, still staring at the spot where Tartarus had disappeared from.

I exited the room, and Jay went with me, leaving Kiernan with a comatose girl, and a girl who only stared at one spot, not speaking.

* * *

We found mom in her room. She was sitting on her bed, reading. She set her book down when she saw us. "Is everything alright?" She asked. I went over and sat beside her, leaning on her shoulder. Jay did the same on her other side, and she put her arms around us. I started crying.

"When they brought you into the house, I knew it wasn't him. I could tell Nikita knew, too. She told to stay in my room, to leave for the farm tomorrow, so I could be away from here." Mom said quietly. I cried harder.

"Lee..." Jay started, then hesitated. "What happened down there?"

"He held us in a room. Nikita and I talked a little. Then he made me... He made me... He made me marry him. And then he raped me." I said quietly. I heard mom gasp, and Jay had a shocked look on his face. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh, baby..." Mom said, stroking my hair with her hand, a comforting gesture.

Kiernan came in with Nikita and a no longer comatose Chelsey. They sat quietly at the end of the bed while I cried, obviously not knowing what to do.

Something echoed at the back of my mind again, and this time I paid more attention to it. Memories flooded back into my mind.

A moment later, I sat straight up. "I am going to destroy that fucking bastard." I said, steely determination and rage mixed in my voice.

"Lyric?" Mom asked.

"He has her. He has Whitney and I didn't even realize it." I said. Nikita looked me in the eyes.

"You remember now?" She asked.

"I thought she was just your sister of something, that maybe you wanted to save her like you couldn't your brother. But she's not your sister. She's your goddaughter." I said. I was still avoiding anyone else knowing that I had had a baby, and Nikita could tell, because she didn't mention it.

"What are we talking about?" Chelsey asked.

"You passed out before he had the baby in his arms." Jay told Chelsey.

"Chelsey, actually, she's also your goddaughter." I said, giving no more explanation than that.

"What?" Chelsey asked.

"I'll explain later. Get everyone to camp. Tartarus knows we're here, and camp's on high alert. It's where we should be anyways. Nikita, you come with me." I said. I held out a hand to Nikita. She took it. "Mom, go to the farm. Stay there until we tell you it's safe enough to leave." Mom nodded.

I closed my eyes. Moments later, Nikita and I were standing in the throne room of Olympus. The gods, all up in their thrones, talking and laughing, quieted and looked to us. "Why do you come here without a summons?" Zeus thundered, as the throne room shrink in size so that the gods were ten feet tall, rather than the size of giants.

"Because all of you are going to help me get my baby back, and destroy Tartarus for once and for all." I said smoothly.

"You dare try to order the gods around?" Zeus asked, rage in his tone.

"Oh, I'm not trying!" I yelled. "I am! You are all going to get off your lazy asses and help me! I will not take no for an answer, and you will do as I say!" I was so done with all of these immortals and their attitudes. The throne room was plunged into almost pitch black. The entire room shook, and the gods were noticeably fearful. Nikita set a hand on my shoulder, and I managed to calm down, enough to stop my power.

"Are you going to help? Or are you just going to have an attitude and sit there like all you immortals do?" I asked quietly, but the room was so silent I could easily be heard.

"All in favor of aiding the destruction of Tartarus?" Zeus asked. I glared. "And the retrieval of a baby he has kidnapped?" Every good said aye.

"Gather any minor gods able to help, and get to camp." I commanded. I grabbed Nikita's arm and the throne room disappeared. The porch of the Big House appeared around us.

"Lyric?" Chiron asked.

"Gather the campers. Announce the start of the end of this war against Tartarus. The gods are going to help us destroy him for good." I said. Chiron was surprised, to say the least.

* * *

I would've gone to try and find Tartarus right then and there, but Nikita managed to convince me to go and get something to eat, and then go and get checked out in the infirmary.

The medics wanted me to stay in the infirmary, being down in the pit wasn't good for your health, but there was no way I was going to sit this fight out. Tartarus had my baby. The next time I saw him, I was going to obliterate him. The only thing that kept me in that infirmary was the fact that the gods had not yet arrived. I knew I would likely need their help.

* * *

After an hour or two in the infirmary, Cypress came in. He went over to Nikita first, and hugged her, telling her he was sorry he hadn't come sooner. Then he stepped back and looked at me. "The gods are here. They're requesting you come out to see them, so that you can make a plan with them." Cypress told me. I got up from the bed, and Nikita got up as well. The three of us walked out of the infirmary, and Nikita and I followed Cypress to Halfblood Hill.

The sight was amazing, to say the least. The twelve Olympians were all gathered, as well as at least a hundred minor gods. Probably more. Though none wore battle armor, I knew they would likely soon. Because there was going to be a war.

"Before anything else in making a plan, we need to know whatever you can tell us about him." Athena said. I was about to answer when more pain than I have ever felt in my life shot through my entire body. I think I screamed louder than I ever have before. Unable to do anything but succumb to the pain, I collapsed to the ground. I didn't comprehend it as Nikita also fell, screaming.

Someone's arms were around me. My eyes had closed when I fell, so I didn't know who, at first. But then I could smell his sunshine like smell, and I knew it was Kiernan. His embrace comforted me.

When the pain finally ended, and my breathing finally evened, I opened my eyes. Kiernan was holding me in his lap, sitting on the ground. Cypress, beside us, was holding Nikita much the same. She was crying. Jay was nearby, as was Chelsey. They must've gotten here recently, then.

I noticed the gods all staring at something. I looked, and gasped. It was Tartarus. And he was holding my baby.

I pulled myself off the ground, with a little help from Jay, and Kiernan pulled himself up as well.

"You've both survived my second rising." Tartarus mused. "You two are stronger than I've given you credit for. Especially you, Nikita. You've survived it twice now." Nikita had felt that pain before? My respect for her skyrocketed.

"Give her back." I said clearly, even though I'd just been screaming and my throat was slightly hoarse.

"No, I think I should like to keep her. She's just the most adorable little thing." Tartarus grinned.

"Give her back!" I shouted. The ground rumbled.

"Stop shouting. You'll wake her from her sleep." Tartarus said. He looked to the gods, then back to me. "You are lucky they are here. I would have unleashed my minions upon this camp, but their presence prevents me from sending my monsters."

I didn't say anything, but the sky darkened. There was barely any light, only a dim glow from the moon, as well as the glow from the gods. But it was enough. Enough to see. Tartarus just stared at me, and smirked. The sky returned to it's previous hue. Surprised, I stepped back.

"You didn't know? Didn't Nikita there tell you?" Tartarus said. "I can use your power now. Part of the bond and the marriage, dear."

He thought for a moment. "Speaking of, that marriage would make me this baby's stepfather. So, no, I think I'll keep her with me." He said. He said it quite loudly, making sure everyone heard.

Jay and Kiernan, on either side of me, were both shocked. Cypress and Chelsey were as well, and Nikita just stared sadly at me.

"Lee?" Jay asked quietly. I didn't say anything. I was too busy glaring at Tartarus and staring him down. Kiernan reached out a hand and intertwined his first gers with mine. He didn't say anything, and I could tell he was confused and having some conflicted feelings, but at least he wasn't rejecting me like I had feared.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I let the secret out. You weren't planning on telling anyone, where you?" Tartarus mocked. "You didn't want anyone to know you were pregnant. You didn't want anyone to know about your baby."

Tartarus was really starting to get on my nerves. I was also wondering why the gods were not doing anything, merely watching the exchange. Athena, in particular, was watching me closely. She had a cool and calculating look on her face, and looked content to just watch the exchange.

"Are you all going to stand there? Or are you going to do something while I wreak havoc on this world?" Tartarus asked. No one moved or made a sound. "It's as if you're all statues. Well, if you'd like to play statues, I'll just go and cause some chaos. Where to start? Hmm." He looked around, pretending to consider.

"How about we start in Spruce Creek, Ohio? How about we start with those friends and family members you four love so much? Maddie Landon was her name, I believe?" Tartarus asked.

"Touch my partner and I'll kill you." I growled. I would not let him hurt one of my best friends, the girl my brother loved.

Tartarus ignored me. "And what about you, Kiernan? What were their names? Lydia and Mason? Did you know your parents are in town, looking for you?" Kiernan's grip on my hand tightened, and I lightly squeezed his hand.

"And Chelsey." Tartarus went on. "Poor Chelsey, who ruined her reputation to help someone out. How about your father, Samuel? Would you miss him? Or perhaps that boy, Aaron, that you seem to like so much?"

"Why are you saying you're going to do these things? We all know full well you could. Why taunt us with it?" I asked.

"Because it is a great form of entertainment." Tartarus said. "And maybe, instead of Spruce Creek, we relocate the grand opening of my destruction to Blackmeadow Range?"

That was it. I was done with his taunting and everything else. So. Completely. Done.

The sky turned pitch black, and the only light came from the gods. The ground shook violently, and the heaviest downpour ever known to man began. Fissures erupted in the ground, and fires sprang up everywhere along the ground, except around the trees. Even in my anger, my subconscious knew not to burn down the camp or the forest.

Tartarus let loose a deep laugh. "Finally had enough of it, eh?" He asked.

"I'm giving you one more chance. Give me me baby or I will obliterate you so thoroughly you never reform again." I said calmly, evenly. But there was an undertone of rage and steely determination in my voice.

"No, I don't think I will." Tartarus said.

He was about to say something else, but a bubble of golden light appeared around Whitney. It moved quickly, carrying her over to us. Nikita caught the bubble, and then handed Whitney to Kiernan. He let go of my hand to hold her. "Hold your baby. Lyric, I'm going to need some help." Nikita said quickly. I knew she meant with defeating Tartarus. Cypress handed her something, and she shoved it in her mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing.

"And here I thought you had given up using your powers. They only bring you closer to death, do they not?" Tartarus asked. Nikita didn't answer. She just took my hand, and squared her shoulders.

"When I tell you, you're going to just need to let go. Let it all go. Don't hold back. I'll protect everyone else, okay?" Nikita asked, so quiet only I heard her. I nodded, and she gave Athena a meaningful look. A look was passed between all the gods assembled, as they all seemed to understand something, get some message of what she wanted them to do. Probably something to help destroy the guy they were here to destroy.

"What are you saying to her?" Tartarus asked.

"Nothing important." Nikita said with a shrug.

"I'm sure that that is not the truth. And you are my wife, you should be truthful with me." Tartarus said.

"You're my husband, but you're a cheating whore. And you tried to kill my friends. Who's really in the wrong here?" Nikita asked smoothly. Tartarus actually looked taken aback.

He was about to say something, but Nikita squeezed my hand hard, and I understood what she meant. I let my powers go, didn't control them. Even when they started when I was upset, I usually had a handle on my emotions. Not that I had felt any emotions nearly as overwhelming as this, ever, but this was so much different, too. I let go of all the bottled up emotions, all the emotions I was holding back so that I would not hurt anyone else, all the emotions that I held back for fear of what might happen.

I don't even know what happened. One moment, I was standing there, holding Nikita's hand, the next, I could see nothing, only darkness. I could hear nothing, feel nothing. All but one of my senses soon cleared up, seconds or minutes later. I could feel, I could hear, but I couldn't see. My knees gave out and I fell to the ground.

* * *

 **Well, they got Whitney back, but we don't know what's going to happen. Let's just hope Nikita was able to protect the camp while Lyric let loose. Let's also hope Nikita doesn't die from using her powers on such a large scale. That would be upsetting.**

* * *

 **While this update was late, I also got about twenty dollars worth of chocolate out of the shopping trip yesterday, so I'm pretty happy about that. I just kinda didn't look at the shoes at the mall because I already didn't want him to spend a bunch of money on me (this is his way of apologizing for taking his stress out on me and screaming at me yesterday morning before school, his really good friend just suddenly died and he's not taking it very well; also the money he was using was his tattoo money and I didn't want to take that from him but as my mom said "you know he wants to do this, and he's not going to not buy you stuff. Just let the man do this, he needs it.")**

 **So basically we ended up at Best Buy and he got me a five hundred dollar laptop that I didn't want or need (it was the one thing he was very insistent upon, that I have a new laptop for his house so I don't have to stress about carrying mine to school and back on the days I switch between houses, and because I can use it for school and the one I have now is from like fourth grade, anyways).**

 **I'd also mentioned a pair of shoes when I had been stressing out that morning about carrying stuff (I was just a bit overwhelmed with other stuff and it spilled into trying to bring what I needed back to my mom's) so even though I said I didn't need another sixty four dollar pair of shoes and that I only had to carry the one pair (my Spiderman Vans are amazing) because I'd brought home my running sneakers for gym, he wanted me to go look at the store and see if there were any others I liked. Instead of looking at the shoes, I just browsed the clothes a little with no intention to get any of it, debated getting a beanie (I can't wait for fall to just come already so I can wear my beanies), and then we left without getting anything there.**

 **After that, we went two stores down to Lindt, and they had a sale on a row of chocolate bars, most of which were dark, so I was super excited about that. Instead of three something for each, it as a ten for ten sale, so we each got five. I also got a pomegranate dark chocolate bar at full price, and then we filled some bags with the little circle chocolates. He filled his up a ton, I just filled mine like halfway. All in all, we got like forty dollars worth of chocolate.**

 **Only other store we went to after that was Hot Topic. I was browsing the band shirts, didn't see any I particularly wanted this time around, so I got a couple pins. Also remembered Hot Topic carries my favorite brand of nail polish (Blackheart Beauty) so I got a couple of those and one of their perfumes.**

 **But yeah, long story short, TL;DR, whatever else you call it: My dad felt bad about taking his stress out on me, so he took me shopping for a new laptop and just a mall shopping trip to make up for it, so I ended up with a five hundred dollar new laptop, twenty or so dollars worth of chocolate from Lindt, and a couple pins and nail polishes from Hot Topic. (Oh, and he also approved of my wanting the helix piercing, which I was trying to ask for instead of the laptop because it's actually something I wanted and not as expensive, but he was just like "Sure! I'll see if my tattoo artist does them, he does some piercings, I'll ask about prices and we can try to get an appointment!")**

* * *

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	18. Chapter 17

**I totally promised myself I was going to do better about posting on time now that school's started, but I'm also totally posting this two days late. I feel really, really bad about that, so, I'm sorry. (This story is actually ending soon - I'll do my best to keep up my posting schedule until the end, and then I'll switch to a once a week posting schedule for Part III, which will be much easier for me to keep up with.)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

I don't even know what happened. One moment, I was standing there, holding Nikita's hand, the next, I could see nothing, only darkness. I could hear nothing, feel nothing

All but one of my senses soon cleared up, seconds or minutes later. I could feel, I could hear, but I couldn't see. My knees gave out and I fell to the ground.

* * *

Immediately, there was an arm around me. I leaned into Kiernan as he pulled me onto his lap, careful not to jar Whitney. He helped me to position my arms to hold her, and then put his arms around me as I held her. I started crying.

"It's okay, Lyric. You're safe now. Whitney is safe now. We're all safe now." Kiernan whispered in my ear. I cried harder. "It's okay. We're safe. I love you, and I love Whitney, and we're safe."

Moments later, someone knelt down beside us. I still could not see, so I did not say anything. "The gods left. They're asking for us to go to Olympus when we are ready." It was Cypress's voice. "They need to discuss our fates."

"That sounds ominous." I said quietly.

"They didn't sound happy." Cypress confirmed.

Not wanting to keep the gods waiting, we went straight for the camp vans. Well, I had to be led there by Kiernan, because I couldn't see. We ended up sitting in the very back, because there was a middle, and Kiernan sat in the middle, and pulled me onto his lap and held me tight while I held Whitney.

* * *

"We're here." Cypress announced from the front of the vehicle. I felt someone help me stand, and help me out of the car. Then, Kiernan's hand was light at my elbow, helping guide me.

My vision started to clear, somewhat, as we entered the Empire State Building and took the elevator ride to the six hundred floor, but it was working slowly. I could just barely see, albeit blurrily, when we got to the throne room.

"Finally. I was getting impatient." Zeus' voice thundered across the room. "We've summoned you to discuss what happens from here."

"Lyric Tucker, you've angered the gods." Zeus said. I clutched Whitney closer, and Kiernan's grip on my elbow tightened. I still couldn't see very well, my sight was slowly getting better. But I could see Zeus was not pleased. "You must be punished."

"She destroyed Tartarus!" Nikita burst out.

"Something it seems you couldn't do right. Perhaps we should take away from you your voice?" Zeus asked threateningly. Nikita didn't shut up.

"Oh, so a mere mortal is supposed to defeat an ancient immortal? Totally getting that logic." She argued.

"Lyric did it." Zeus countered.

"Because she's powerful. And that power is on your side." Nikita told him. I could see the expression on his face change slightly. He was considering something.

"I'd like to say something." I called out. Zeus looked to me.

"What do you wish to say?" Zeus asked.

"If you're looking to punish me because you're worried I might turn on the gods, then you don't need to do anything. I'm not going to live long enough to even ever consider that, not that I would ever consider that." I said.

"What do you mean, you won't live long enough?" Zeus asked.

"Something snapped in me, and it's too broken to fix. I'm dying." I said. I hadn't really realized it before now, though I had felt some sort of difference after Tartarus was defeated. I could tell I wasn't going to live for more than a few days. I didn't say anything about how long, though, not wanting to share that with my brother and friends. I didn't turn around to see their reactions.

Zeus seemed to ponder for a minute. Athena got up and whispered something in his ear. He looked at us thoughtfully. "You may all be dismissed back to your Camp." He announced.

We all quickly left the throne room. Able to actually see now, I didn't need Kiernan's hand on my elbow, but I appreciated the gesture. It was comforting. We had made it just outside the doors of the Empire State Building when Whitney began to cry. I started to panic, not knowing what to do or what had happened.

"Calm down, Lyric. I think she's just hungry." Nikita said.

"How do we feed her?" I asked.

"We don't have anything to give her, so you're going to have to breastfeed her. Are you okay with that?" Nikita asked. I nodded slowly. I'd never much thought about it, having not been far into pregnancy when everything happened. "Alright, I'll help you. Come with me." I followed her away from the others, and we went back into the Empire State Building and found a bathroom.

Nikita taught me how to feed her, saying she had watched her mother with her brother, and stayed with me while I did. I was glad we were in a bathroom, otherwise this might have been awkward, having to pull down my shirt on one side. When Whitney was done, we went back out and joined the others on the sidewalk. Whitney was, thankfully, now sleeping peacefully.

* * *

We were mostly silent on the way back to Camp. The first any of us spoke was when we got back to Camp and all went to my and Nikita's cabin. It was Jay who spoke. "Why didn't you tell anyone, Lee?"

I thought he meant about my baby. "I was afraid of being rejected. I was afraid of you guys hating me." I said. Kiernan squeezed my shoulder lightly, reassuring me.

"I meant about what you said on Olympus." Jay said. He was gripping the edge of the couch so hard his knuckles were white.

"I didn't know, I didn't realize until up there. I felt it, but I didn't know." I said.

"H-how long?" Chelsey asked. I realized she was crying.

"Not more than a few days." I whispered. There were many surprised and shocked reactions. Jay and Kiernan's expressions were the worst. I closed my eyes and clutched my baby tighter. "We're still going to go to Blackmeadow Range, right, Jay? We can still go."

"Yeah, Lee, of course we can. We can do anything you want. And Mom's still there. And we can see Liam and Mika and Orianne and Ben." Jay said, voice breaking.

"And Maddie and Lydia. I promised we would explain later. And- I really want to see them." I said. I turned my head to look at Kiernan. "And Mason and your parents. So they can meet Whitney. Though I'm not too sure your parents like me. They didn't seem to when I met them..."

"I don't care what they think." Kiernan said quietly. "I've never even been that close to them. But I do know Mason would love to meet you and Whitney."

"Why don't we all go pack our stuff, then, those of us who live here. Pack things to wear and such, and we can go to Ohio for the next couple weeks." Chelsey said. Everyone agreed.

"One more thing. Chelsey, Cypress, Nikita. All three of you are her godparents." I said. Chelsey smiled, and I couldn't see Cypress's reaction from where I was sitting.

* * *

Once Nikita had gone to her room and Cypress and Chelsey had gone, Kiernan asked to speak to me alone for a moment. We went into my room, leaving Jay in the living room. We sat down on my bed, facing each other, and I held Whitney as she slept. Though I did find a green baby blanket on the bed, a darker green than the one around her now, and I switched them. I threw the one from Tartarus on the floor, snapped my fingers, and let it burn to ashes. Kiernan watched in amusement.

"Sorry, I really wanted to do that. What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"You're not the only one who's dying." Kiernan said slowly.

"What?" I asked, breath catching. He couldn't be dying, too. No. This was not happening.

Kiernan smiled weakly and pulled up his shirt to show me his side, the area where he had been shot. The veins that could be usually seen faintly through the skin were now dark and clearly visible. He put his shirt back down. "Monster poison wound from when I went to fight. The ambrosia healed the wound, but not the poison. It's moving slowly. But the medics at the infirmary gave me about as much time as you've got left." Kiernan explained.

"She's going to have to grow up without her parents." I whispered.

"It might be hard, but she's going to be fine. She'll have a big, loving family to take care of her." Kiernan said, pulling me close and kissing my forehead.

"I want Jay to take care of her." I said, looking up at Kiernan. "Are you okay with that?"

"Whatever you think is best. But your brother is a good guy. I think he would do just fine by her." Kiernan said.

"Jay?" I called loudly so he'd hear me from the living room. He came into the room moments later.

"Yeah, Lee?" Jay asked.

"Will you be willing to raise Whitney?" I asked.

"What? Does Kiernan not want to?" Jay asked. He glared at Kiernan with a look almost akin to pure hatred.

Kiernan put his hands up in mock surrender as I laughed. "No, Jay, he does want to. But he can't." I said, voice losing it's laugh and going back to quiet and serious. Jay's expression softened.

"Why not?" Jay asked.

"Because the medics only gave me about as much time as she has left. After that wound wasn't treated, the ambrosia and nectar couldn't heal the poison." Kiernan explained to Jay.

"So, will you raise our baby for us?" I asked Jay.

"Of course I will, Lee." Jay said quietly.

"I want you to make sure a couple things happen. I want her to know about her demigod side, and I want her to be able to choose whether she wants to live at Camp or in Ohio, maybe once she's completed fifth grade? I don't know. And I want you to bring her to Blackmeadow Range a lot, and I want her to know her family like I never really did. Like I didn't get the chance, because of my father." I told Jay.

"I promise, Lee." Jay told me.

"Alright. And now, I want to go to Blackmeadow Range. Can you go get Chelsey, Cypress, and Nikita? I can get us all there. And they went to pack." I asked. Jay said he would, and left the room.

Kiernan pulled me into his lap and rested his forehead against mine. I held Whitney between us, and he brought up a hand to brush her little tuft of hair from her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at us.

"She's beautiful." Kiernan whispered.

"She's got a shade between our eyes for her hair. And she's got a mix between our eyes for her own." I whispered.

"It would seem so." Kiernan responded.

"She's going to be beautiful one day." I said. "And we're not going to be there to see it."

"We might not be there, then. But we're here, now. And I hope you know I love you both so damn much, and I am glad that I get to spend the rest of my time with you two." Kiernan told me.

"I love you, too. And I'm glad, too." I said. Kiernan kissed my forehead.

* * *

Once everyone was in my room, I thought of our house in Ohio. We all appeared in the living room.

"I thought we were going to the farm, Lee." Jay said.

"We are. We just need to get some people. Kiernan, go get your family. Jay, call Maddie." I said. Jay nodded and moved into the next room, while Kiernan exited the house.

Kiernan got back within a couple minutes, leading his family. His parents looked confused, Lydia looked relieved that he was here, and his brother looked excited to see him.

"Kiernan, why did you bring us over here?" His mother asked.

"Because we're getting ready to go somewhere." Kiernan said.

"Go somewhere? Why would we be going anywhere?" His father asked. They were too fixed on Kiernan to notice the rest of us.

"Blackmeadow Range. The farm belongs to Lyric and Jay's uncle." Kiernan said.

His parents and Lydia glanced up at me, and we're thoroughly surprised to see me holding a baby. Lydia came over to look at her.

"She's a pretty baby. But why are you holding a baby?" Lydia asked.

I looked to Chelsey. "Explain now or wait for Maddie? Or wait until we get to the farm? I'm going to have to explain to my family, too." I asked.

"Wait for a full explanation. But you can tell them." Chelsey said.

"Her name is Whitney Warren Ashton. And she's my baby." I told Lydia.

"Ashton?" Lydia asked. She looked back at Kiernan, who was smiling, and then at me. A huge grin broke out across her face. "You two are perfect together."

"How in the world is that our son's child when you have only been here for a few weeks? And you definitely weren't pregnant when we met you." Kiernan's father asked.

"We're demigods. Things happen." Kiernan said, annoyed. His father had a shocked look on his face. "Yeah, now I know."

"Are you all?" Kiernan's mother asked. She was being more kind that her husband.

"Yeah. My mom's Hecate, Jay's dad is Hermes, Kiernan's mom is Iris, Cypress is a son of Hypnos, and Lyric and Nikita are children of Primordials. Physis and Aether, respectively." Chelsey quickly explained.

I heard the front door, and then Maddie was running into the living room. "Where were you? You've missed so much class, and I've been so worried!" She exclaimed. She stopped short when she saw us all. "Wait. What's going on?"

"I'll explain when we get there." I said. Not giving her a chance to ask where there was, I imagined us all standing under the willow I had parked under last time I went to Blackmeadow Range. Moments later, there we were.

"What the hell?" Maddie asked, stumbling. Jay caught her.

"Okay, let's go for a brief explanation." I started. "The Greek gods are real, as are the Roman. Us, we are Greek demigods. Half mortal, half god. Jay's dad is Hermes, my biological mother is a Primordial named Physis, Chelsey's mom is Hecate, Cypress is a son of Hypnos, Kiernan's mom is Iris, and Nikita is the daughter of a Primordial called Aether."

"Anyways, some big ancient evil guy started a ton of trouble, and tried to kill everyone. He almost succeeded." Nikita finished.

"I'm not too good with mythology. Who's who?" Maddie asked. I was a little surprised as to why no one asked any questions or had a hard time believing it, but then I remembered that mom had explained to Lydia and Maddie, and Kiernan's parents already knew. As for Mason, who knew what went on in the young boy's mind?

"My mom is the goddess of magic and crossroads, among a couple other things." Chelsey explained. "Jay's dad is the God of thievery, travel, and is the messenger of the gods. Cypress, his dad is the god of sleep. Kiernan's mom is the goddess of rainbows, and she's partially a messenger of the gods. Mostly, though, we demigods call upon her services. Lyric's mother is the Primordial of nature, and Nikita's father is the Primordial of the upper air and of light. And Lyric and Nikita are the only Primordial children to have basically ever survived this long. They're strong."

"Nature? So all those storms...?" Lydia asked. I looked down at the ground. "So those were you."

"Sorry. I'm not too good at controlling it in times of strong emotion." I said.

"I'll say, you destroyed an ancient immortal so thoroughly that he won't be coming back, not for billions of years, possibly never again." Cypress said.

Everyone who hadn't been there looked at me, shocked and surprised expressions on their face. "He took my baby and tried to make me forget her." I said with a little shrug.

"Not to mention he forced you to marry him." Nikita said.

"Yeah, he's a jerk. What kind of guy has two wives? Especially when both want nothing more than for him to never have existed." I said, a little bit of a smile on my face.

"Too true. But I suppose that makes us kind of sisters." Nikita said.

"Who knows how all this works? The gods already have one freaking messed up family." I said with a shrug. Nikita laughed.

"Let's head inside, Lee. You still have to explain why we're here." Jay said quietly. My mood immediately went serious, and I nodded.

"We should probably do that." I agreed.

We all went up on the porch, and Jay knocked on the door. Orianne came to see who it was. "Strangers! Stranger Danger!" Orianne yelled, looking at all of us.

"Orianne, you've met half of us already. And you remember me, right? Last time, I told you that your Auntie is my Mom. And you know Jay." I told her.

"But I don't know them!" She pointed to Kiernan's parents, Mason, Chelsey, and Nikita and Cypress.

"It's cool. They're friends and family." I told her. "Is your aunt in the living room?" She nodded.

"Well, we came to see you all. Okay?" I asked. She nodded, and stepped aside so Jay could open the door.

I took my shoes off by the door, and everyone else did as well. Well, I more kicked them off so I wouldn't have to put Whitney down.

I followed Orianne into the living room, and Mom immediately got up from her seat on the couch. "Oh my gods. Are you safe now? Is it all ended now?" She asked quickly, coming over to hug both me and Jay. Then she noticed my baby. "Lyric?"

"Hi, mom." I said sheepishly. "Do you want to meet her? She's your granddaughter." I handed her to Mom, so she could hold her.

"She's beautiful. What's her name?" Mom asked.

"Whitney Warren Ashton." I said. Mom looked surprised at my choice in name, but not at all surprised that she was an Ashton.

"Warren?" Mom asked.

"Mom said that the man she knew, Warren, was a great man. But the father I knew was a man who went by many different names." I said. "I named her after the mother I was always so grateful for, and the father I always wished I had." Mom nodded.

* * *

 **Lyric still hasn't actually explained why they are there. How long is she going to put this off?**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Review Replies:**

 **StellaAthena36 - Yep, I'm totally okay! They've been split since I was like two or three, my brother even younger. I lived with my mom for schooling/etc. for elementary and middle school, always visiting my dad in Maryland and then spending weekends/etc. when he moved to the next state over from where we were. They've got joint custody, so I spend a week at one house then a week at the other for highschool, because my mom moved to the same schooling district for my stepsister that moved halfway across the country to live with us and her dad, instead of her mom, for high school. I'm used to it all, it's been like this way all my life.**

 **^ As for the cliffhanger thing, I got your review for the chapter after that, but yes, I of course plan to let my readers die :) (I'm just joking but cliffhangers happen sometimes)**

 **^ Now for the review on the latest chapter, you'll see very soon what role Whitney will play in the upcoming _More Than A Girl,_ Part III of the _More Than What You May Think_ series. (And, as always, I pove hesring from you and hearin your feedback on my stories!)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Previously on More Than A Mortal:**

"Mom said that the man she knew, Warren, was a great man. But the father I knew was a man who went by many different names." I said. "I named her after the mother I was always so grateful for, and the father I always wished I had." Mom nodded.

* * *

"Whitney? You don't seem too surprised by the fact that your daughter all of a sudden has a baby, when she wasn't even pregnant." My uncle said, standing from his chair and making his way over.

"The Greek gods are real, Liam. Jay's dad was one. And so was Lyric's biological mother." Mom said.

"What did you think all of the weird events of late have been, Liam?" Mika asked from the kitchen table, looking up from her book. "And everything unexplainable that has ever happened?"

"You knew about the gods?" I asked.

"Somewhat. Someone somewhere in my family was a demigod, and bits of knowledge have been passed down." Mika said.

"Wait, does this mean you've all got the Sight?" Chelsey asked. "Can you all see through the Mist? I mean, it would make sense, it would attract the gods more. That's what attracted my mom."

"I know I do. And I'm guessing Mika definitely does. Liam might, but he's my brother, so it'd make sense. I'm guessing Orianne and Ben can, too." Mom said.

" _Lee, when are you going to tell them? You too, Kiernan. You shouldn't hide it for very long._ " Jay said.

" _But everyone's so happy and in a good mood. Can't we just wait a little longer?_ " I asked.

" _I don't think you should._ " Chelsey said. " _The longer you wait, the harder it will be._ "

" _Yeah. I barely waited to tell Cypress when my dad told me I was dying, and that was hard enough. Don't put it off, Lyric._ " Nikita told me. Cypress slipped an arm over her shoulders. I looked to Kiernan.

" _I'll tell when you do._ " Kiernan said. I took a deep breath as Ben entered the living room from the hall.

He stopped and looked around at all of us. "What the hell is going on?" Ben asked. He caught sight of mom. "Aunt Whitney, why are you holding a baby?"

Mom gave her back to me, and I took her. "She's my baby." I said.

"So my cousin is a slut." Ben said.

"Excuse me?" I asked, voice void of emotion.

"You came here to try and get us to raise it, didn't you? Because you don't want to." Ben said. "Well, we don't need another child here. Orianne was enough." The ground shook, very noticeably.

"Benjamin Tucker, that is enough out of you!" Liam exclaimed.

"Well, you came here for something, didn't you?" Ben asked. The shaking intensified.

"I came here because I wanted to be with friends after all of the events of late. I came here because I wanted to be with my family. And for your information, I'm not looking for someone to raise her. Jay's already going to. And I'm no slut. I've only ever slept with one person. So I suggest you shut the hell up, before I lose control and bring this roof down on all of our heads." I told him. My voice held absolutely no emotion as I spoke.

" _Lee, please, try to stop the earthquake. Don't let anyone else get hurt because our cousin is a bastard._ " Jay said, setting a hand on my arm. The earthquake slowly stopped as I took deep breaths.

"Lyric, baby, what do you mean, Jay's going to raise her?" Mom asked. There was a look of dread in her eyes.

"I'm dying. I've got about a few days left, and there's no stopping it." I said. Mom's hand flew to her mouth. Everyone was dead silent.

"I suppose it's not a good time to mention that I've got about as much time left as her?" Kiernan ventured in the silence. The silence got seemingly more silent.

"What? How? No. No, this can't happen." Lydia said finally. She seemed extremely close to tears, barely holding herself together. "I can't lose my brother. I can't lose one of my best friends."

"Why does this have to happen?" Maddie asked. She was crying, tears streaming down her face. "What happened?"

"I really don't know what happened. I can just feel it. Something snapped, and I'm too broken to fix." I said. "As for Kiernan..."

"As for me, I wasn't fast enough to get to the infirmary." He said. "I was out helping hold the border, and I took a hit to the side. I didn't get away fast enough, mostly because of the ancient immortal who held me and Jay hostage to get Lyric." I shuddered. Kiernan pulled up his shirt to show off the spiraling black veins. The poison was a little farther than it was when I had last seen it. Everyone else was silent.

Moments later, when the silence had become unbearable, I spoke. "Can we please stop thinking about all of this and just be happy or something? I did not come here to sit through an awkward silence."

"Why don't we introduce everyone, so that we can all know who is who?" My uncle suggested. "And then we can figure out rooming arrangements."

"That sounds fantastic." I said.

"Well, I'm Liam Tucker, owner of Blackmeadow Range." Liam started.

"Jay Tucker."

"Whitney Tucker."

"Lyric Warren Tucker. And little Whitney Warren Tucker." I said.

"Maddie Landon."

"Lydia Ashton."

"Richard Ashton."

"Mary Ashton, and that's our son Mason."

"Kiernan Ashton."

"Chelsey Dare."

"Nikita Caliya Beckett."

"Cypress Creek."

"I'm Mika Tucker. And that's Orianne." Mika said.

"You forgot Sinda!" Orianne exclaimed.

"Who's Sinda?" I asked.

"I'm not too far along, so we don't know what the gender will be yet, but Orianne is dead set on the fact that she's right and it's going to be a girl." Mika said. "And if it is, her name will be Sinda Nalia Tucker. If it's a boy, we've decided on Sage Tucker."

"Oh, that's wonderful news." I said. Mika smiled.

We took the next few minutes to figure where everyone would sleep. It was finally decided that Jay would stay in Ben's room, Mom would take the couch in Liam and Mika's room, Maddie, Lydia, and Chelsey would sleep in Orianne's room, Kiernan's parents and Mason would stay in the guest room, and Nikita and Cypress would take the living room. Kiernan and I would get the little room off the hall, as it had a foldout couch. Liam went to get Orianne's old crib from the basement for us to use for Whitney. Then we all decided to rest, and that we would go out and do something later.

* * *

When we went into the little room, Kiernan immediately went to start setting up the couch, folding it out and putting sheets and blankets over it. I wanted to help, but I had a baby in my arms.

"Lyric." I looked to the doorway to see Mom standing there. She gestured for me to come over there, and I went over to see what she wanted. She stepped out into the hall, and I followed.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I was going to ask if you wanted me to go out and get some things for her. Has she been fed yet at this point?" Mom asked.

"That would be great. And yeah, I fed her, once. I don't know what was going on while he had her. But I don't think it was anything too bad, because he was mostly just using her as leverage." I said.

"You fed her? Did someone have to teach you how?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, Nikita told me how to. She learned from her mother when her brother was born. But I think I'd prefer formula." I said.

"Alright. I'll go and find some things. So far, though, she seems to be a very quiet baby." Mom said.

"Yeah." I agreed. Mom hugged me and then left to go the store. I went back into the room with Kiernan.

"What did your mom want?" Kiernan asked as I set Whiney in the crib Liam had brought up.

"She was asking if she should go get some things for Whitney. That's what she's heading out to do." I told him, sitting down on the couch beside him.

"That's nice of her." Kiernan observed.

"Yeah." I said, leaning against Kiernan. He slipped an arm around me. I closed my eyes.

"So, our lives have been crazy since we met each other." Kiernan said.

"Yeah. Crazy." I said. "Know what else is crazy? How much I really want to take a nap right now." Kiernan laughed.

"How about this: I'll stay awake and watch Whitney, and you take a nap?" Kiernan suggested.

"Sounds good to me." I said, moving so that I was laying down on the folded out bed. Kiernan remained sitting against the back of the couch, and I put my head in his lap. I could feel him start playing with my hair as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I was awoken later by Kiernan smoothing my hair away from my face, kissing my forehead, and leading down to whisper in my ear. "Come on, Lyric, it's time to get up so we can go out to dinner."

I opened my eyes slowly, and Kiernan leaned back to look at me. "Can't we just stay here? And sleep?" I asked. "This is literally my first day back from hell."

"The whole reason we came here was to spend time with your family and friends." Kiernan said.

"I know. I'm getting up." I said, getting off of the bed. "See? I'm up." Kiernan laughed.

I went over to the crib and gently picked Whitney up. She was sleeping soundly, and was absolutely adorable in the little pajamas mom must have gotten her. I picked up her green blanket and wrapped her up in it.

"Come on. We're going to Texas Roadhouse." Kiernan said. I smiled wide. I loved Texas Roadhouse.

Kiernan and I ended up in the backseat of Liam's old van that he didn't often use. Nikita and Cypress were in the two seats in front of us, and Chelsey was driving. Jay was driving Mom's truck, with Maddie in the passenger seat. My uncle was driving his truck, with Lydia, Kiernan's parents, and Mason. Mika was driving herself, Orianne, and Mom.

Our table, luckily, was ready when we got there. It was really more two tables, just pushed together.

I ended up seated on the very end, and had Whitney in a baby carrier on a chair beside me. Kiernan was sitting beside me, and Jay was across from me, with Maddie beside him. On the other side of Kiernan, it went Cypress, Nikita, Kiernan's parents, Mason. On the other side of Maddie, it went Lydia, Chelsey, Mom, Mika, Liam. Orianne sat at the very end, on either side, instead at the actual end.

We had a fun night at Texas Roadhouse. We all talked and laughed and ate for an hour or two. At one point, Whitney started crying, and Mom came with me outside to calm her down, but after that, she remained calm. Not sleeping, but awake and watching everything. Orianne and Mason seemed to love her, both constantly getting up from their seats to come over and look at her, much to the dismay of their parents.

When we were done eating and had gotten back home, we all went to our separate rooms, it being late. I set Whitney down gently in the crib, and laid down beside Kiernan on the fold out couch. They were more comfortable than people usually gave them credit for. Kiernan wrapped an arm around me, and I laid my head against his chest. He kissed my hair softly, and my breathing slowly evened out as I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke early in the morning. Kiernan was still asleep, so I gently untangled myself from him. Checking the time, I found that it was six a.m. Someone else was bound to be up, most likely Liam. Living on a farm would do that to you.

I gently picked up Whitney from her crib. She was still sound asleep. Going over to the things Mom had gotten yesterday, I retrieved some things to heat Whitney's formula. Better to get her used to it before Jay had to take care of her.

When I went out in the kitchen, I found Liam standing at the counter, eating a bagel. He moved over so that I could use the space by the stove.

"She's a beautiful baby." Liam said when I checked the bottle against my wrist to make sure it wasn't too hot.

"She really is." I murmured, holding the bottle up for Whitney. She sucked on it eagerly.

"And you really like this boy? We don't need to bring together the family to hurt him?" Liam asked. I laughed.

"No, I really like him. He's very sweet." I said. "I love him."

"Good. I would hate to have to hurt the boy when his family is here." Liam said. I laughed again. "So, what plans do you have for the day?"

"I don't know. Just hang out with everyone, I guess." I said with a shrug.

* * *

And that's how it did go. I spent the day talking and laughing and hanging out with all of my friends in the living room, before it got a little warmer out and we migrated to the porch and surrounding grass. Orianne and Mason played a game nearby, while Mom and Kiernan's parents sat on the porch with us. Liam had to run into town for a couple things, so that we could have a barbecue, and Mika was over with Orianne and Mason, watching them and making sure they didn't go too far. Ben stayed in his room, most likely sulking after his father yelled at him.

Nobody went to bed until really late, but by about one a.m., I was getting extremely tired and wanted to go to sleep. I said goodnight to everyone, and went inside, but not before getting tight hugs from everyone. No one wanted to say it, but we all knew tomorrow was the last day for me, and Kiernan, too.

When I got inside, I put Whitney in her crib, grabbed some clothes, and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. It had to be quick in case Whitney woke and began to cry.

I had only been in the shower a few minutes, and was rinsing the soap out of my hair, when someone entered the bathroom. I immediately went to cover myself, even thought shower curtain was very not transparent. As if reading my thoughts, the person spoke up. "Relax, it's just me." It was Kiernan.

I poked my head out the side of the curtains to look at him. "What are you doing in here?" I asked.

"I didn't realize you were in here at first. But when I saw the shower running, I knew it was you, because you're the only one inside." Kiernan said.

"It could've been Ben." I told him.

"He would've used the upstairs bathroom." Kiernan reasoned. I shrugged.

We were silent for a moment, before I asked "Why are you still in here?"

Kiernan gave me a smirk. "Well, I was wondering if I might join you?" He asked. I blushed deep red. We had a baby, and him being suggestive made me blush. Ugh.

"I have to take a quick shower so that I can get back to Whitney. She's in the crib." I told him matter-of-factly.

"Actually, I asked Lydia to watch her for a little while. She's been dying to hold her niece." Kiernan told me.

"Whatever. Just get in here." I told him, returning to rinsing my hair, even though the soap was long gone. Moments later, he was with me, wrapping his arms around me to hug me close to him.

"I love you." He whispered against my hair.

"I love you, too." I told him. I leaned back a little and kissed him. He kissed me back.

I pulled away after a few minutes. He opened his mouth to protest, but I placed a finger on his lips, effectively cutting him off. "I need to finish my shower." I told him. He grinned.

"Maybe I could help you with that." He said seductively. I laughed.

"You'd like to think you'd be helping, but you'd just be getting in the way." I told him. He pouted, before leaning down to whisper in my ear.

"What if I promise to behave myself?"

* * *

I can say that he definitely did not behave himself.

* * *

After that much longer than planned shower, Kiernan and I made our way to our room to get dressed. I was very glad that everyone was still outside.

When we got into our room, I changed into the shirt that Kieran had given me on Halloween. It seemed forever ago. Kiernan smiled at my choice in night wear, changing into only a pair of sweatpants.

"Could you go get Whitney?" I asked Kiernan as I sat down on the edge of the fold out couch.

"You can't?" Kiernan asked, starting toward the door. I knew he was just teasing.

"Are you kidding? I think every single one of them probably knows what just happened because someone else was watching the baby and not me. I do not fancy going out there right now." I told him. He laughed and went to get her.

Kiernan came back a few minutes later, and he had a bit of an uncomfortable look on his face as he handed Whitney to me. "What happened?" I asked him.

"Well, your mother had some things to say. As did your brother. And your uncle, and your aunt, and _my_ mother and father." Kiernan said. I laughed at him and he pouted.

I set Whitney gently down in her crib, and climbed onto the fold out couch beside Kiernan. He wrapped his arms around me, and I slung one of my legs over his and nestled my head against his bare chest. He smiled against my hair and whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I whispered back, lips against his chest from the way I was lying against him.

* * *

 **So, anyone else catch that extra reference to the book that I said I got the names for Kiernan, Orianne, and Mika from? Hint: It's another name. Technically, two, as Sinda and Nalia were two different people. Actually, three different people? I dunno. (I'll put the name and author of the book in the next chapter, at the bottom, so that you can check it out if you want.)**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**

* * *

 **Oh, I just thought I should let people know - I am going to the Ed Sheeran concert at Gilette Stadium tomorrow and I'm excited. I don't listen to him that that much, but I do really like his music, and I get to bring along a friend. I think she's even more excited than I am, but she really likes Ed Sheeran and she hasn't been to many concerts in general.**


	20. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

Neither of us woke up the next day until around noon. Whitney wasn't in her crib, so I guessed that she had probably been crying and someone had come in to take care of her.

I moved to untangle myself from Kiernan, but it took about all of my strength just to do so and prop myself up against the back of the couch. There was no way I was going to be getting up and doing anything else today.

Kiernan woke up shortly after me, and pulled himself up to sit beside me. He had a little more strength than I did, but I could tell it was taking a lot out of him to move.

"I guess today is it." I whispered.

"I guess it is." Kiernan responded. "But we knew this was going to happen." He coughed, and there was black blood on the back of his hand. He wiped it off on his dark sweatpants.

"Are you in pain?" I asked quickly. "I think ambrosia would at least take away the pain, even if it can't help the poison."

"I'm fine, Lyric, really. I don't really feel it." He told me, grabbing my fidgeting hands. I don't think he wasn't lying.

Lydia came into the room a few minutes later, carrying Whitney. Seeing us awake, she brought her over and gave her to me to hold, rather than put her in the crib like she was likely going to do.

"You guys are finally awake." Lydia said lightheartedly.

"Yeah. But I don't know that I'll be able to do much more than be awake." I said quietly.

"I'll get everyone else." Lydia responded, tone gone quiet and sad.

Soon, everyone was in that little room with us, even Ben, though he tried to sulk and hide in the corner. Mom sat down beside me, Jay beside her as they faced me. Lydia was beside Kiernan, and everyone else was standing around the room. Except Orianne and Mason, who were sitting at the edge, not really understanding what was going on.

The silence was a bit unbearable, so I was about to say something, but there was a bright flash of light and Physis was standing beside the couch. "Mom." I said. I hadn't expected to see her. The demigods, except me and Kiernan, who were unable to, all bowed to her.

"Hello, Lyric." She said. Everyone else except for the demigods, Kiernan's father, and my mother were gaping at her. They might have believed about the Greek world, but they very likely hadn't expected to meet a Greek god. Well, she was a Primordial, but that was a technicality.

"You're a Greek goddess." Lydia said.

"Primordial, but what's in a title?" Mom answered.

"Wow." Maddie said.

My mother turned back to me. "After this, you'll both go to Elysium. Hades agrees that it is where you belong." She told me.

"Did he actually agree, or was he just too intimidated by you to say anything else? Because they were visibly afraid of you when we were up there, and Dionysus said that you can be quite intimidating." I asked. She laughed.

"I did not try to intimidate him. No, he truly believes it is where you should go. He believes you both deserve it, after everything you have done. You are both heroes." She said. I smiled.

I suddenly felt very weak, and I had to place Whitney down on my lap before I dropped her. She started wailing, somehow knowing what was happening. I smiled sadly down at her.

Then I looked up at Jay. "Make sure she gets the jewelry from my bag." I told him. He nodded. I had taken off the jewelry my mother had given me knowing I'd not need it anymore.

"I love you Mom. And you too, Jay, and all of my family." I said slowly. "And I love all of my friends. I hope you guys do great things."

I looked to Kiernan. "I love you." I told him. He slipped an arm around me as I looked down at my baby. "And I love you, too, Whit."

With that, I closed my eyes for the final time in my mortal life.

* * *

The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the underworld. I was standing on a beach in front of the River Styx. I looked around, completely unsure of what to do. I didn't see anyone or anything else, so I just sat down. I don't know how long I sat there, lost in thought.

I was eventually pulled out of my thoughts when a hand touched my shoulder. Well, a spirit's hand touched my spirit shoulder. I looked up to see Kiernan smiling at me. He held out a hand and I took it, pulling myself up into a standing position.

A small boat drifted down the river to rest in front of us, and the man at the front gestured for us to get on. We did so, and he took us downriver, finally stopping at the docks of a beautiful city. We got off and he pushed off without a word.

"So what do we do now?" I asked Kiernan, finally finding my voice. I realized we were still holding hands.

"We spend the rest of eternity together?" Kiernan suggested.

"You don't want to go for rebirth?" I asked him. I thought it was something he might want to do.

"Not unless you do." He told me.

"That's good, because I don't plan to for a very, very long time. I'd rather spend many lifetimes with you first." I told him, leaning forward and kissing him. He smiled against my lips, and I knew everything was going to be okay from here.

* * *

 **The End.**

 **Epilogue next.**

 **(The book I have now mentioned twice is The False Princess by Eilis O'Neil. It is a single novel, so don't worry, you only have to go through the emotional investment of a single book, and not a series. Now, if you want to go through the emotional investment of an entire series, read The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson. It's the first book of the Ascendance Trilogy. {Speaking of the Ascendance Trilogy, I got the idea for the boy name, Sage, from this series.})**

 **Another book suggestion, because why not, I really like this one, too: A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. Look it up, it's great! (My school's library had a couple carts of books they were giving away, and I got this one. It's amazing.)**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**


	21. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)_

* * *

 **Here's the epilogue to this wild ride of a story.**

* * *

Kiernan and I were given special permission to attend certain events as they happened in the mortal world. As spirits, we were kinda white and ghostly looking, but that was fine.

The first time we were allowed to visit was after Mika gave birth. Orianne had been wrong, and she had a little baby brother named Sage, who Orianne didn't like at first, at least until she realized that he probably wouldn't have been interested in her cars like she was had he been a girl. Ben was not happy about having another sibling, and moved out as soon as he could.

We were allowed to attend our daughter's first birthday, in which she managed to smear cake all over Jay's face.

We were allowed to attend my mother's wedding to Chelsey's father. They had met at a bookstore and fallen in love.

We attended Jay and Maddie's wedding, as well as their baby shower. I was happy that they had stayed together. And that Whitney would have another child her age in the family to grow up with, not that she didn't know Sage, as they visited the farm all the time. Their son was about two years younger than her. But things move more quickly when you're a demigod.

We attended Chelsey's wedding to a boy named Aaron from the high school we had all gone to. It took him awhile to understand the whole mythological world, but he accepted it. And he was really excited when they had a little son who showed signs of being able to use powers from being descended from Hecate.

And we also got to attend Lydia's wedding. She ended up marrying a woman she met through college. It ended in divorce, but they remained friends. They worked out a schedule to raise the little boy they had adopted. Lydia then went on to marry a boy she met at her job as a photographer. They had a son who absolutely adored his adopted older brother.

We also got to attend Cypress and Nikita's wedding. It took them until Whitney was five to realize they liked each other, and until she was seven to realize they loved each other. They got married when she was ten, and they had her be the flower girl. She loved it and the attention, but all of her cousins didn't like sitting around during the wedding. The moment it was over, they were all chasing each other around in the grass. Whitney even joined in, kicking off her sandals and holding up her skirt with her hands.

* * *

 **So, what did you think of this whole story? Was it any good? Did you get hit by the feels at all? I know I did, and I knew everything that was going to happen.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!**

* * *

 _ **More Than What You May Think, Part II - More Than A Mortal**_ **is officially over! Look out for _More Than A Girl_ , the next installment of the series! Summary and first chapter will go up on next Tuesday, a week from now. Posting schedule will be once a week, to allot more time for my working on the series. If I can, I'll go back to Fridays, as well, but with school and driver's ed and everything going on right now, Tuesdays are my only free weekdays.**


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